


Sword Art Online: Destiny's Calling Arc

by HelixDraxzonyx



Category: Sword Art Online
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-25
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-01-05 10:28:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 229,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12188229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HelixDraxzonyx/pseuds/HelixDraxzonyx
Summary: Virtual Reality gaming has taken a few knocks over the years, with scandals and incidents that resulted in deaths. In 2030 though, a new VRMMORPG is launching that is set to revive the industry. Destiny's Calling Online. It is a massive, open-world game taking advantage of all the most cutting edge technology. DCO is said to be impossible for solo players to complete. Only teams stand a chance. However, when Destiny's Calling launches, the game is immediately thrown into crisis, one that dwarfs even the SAO Incident by an order of magnitude. 2.8 million players were logged in at the start of the crisis, and now they can't log out. If they die in the game, they die in real life. History seems to be repeating itself, and Sinon is at the heart of it all. The only hope for the survival of the players is a rescue team consisting of Sinon, several SAO survivors, and a VRMMO legend with a mysterious background. Is this legend truly trustworthy however? And what dangers lurk within a game that can kill you a million different ways?





	1. The Pistol Prince

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfiction is based purely upon the anime series, though some details from the novels have been incorporated. Events from the novels and the movie however will not be mentioned, reflected or included in any way in this fanfiction.

Amidst the deteriorating buildings of the ruined city, a burned out armoured truck lay overturned on its passenger side. Sheltering in the shadow of this wrecked vehicle is a single figure. Tall, muscular, and wounded. Their pitch black armour has been penetrated in seven places, the openings quite small, nine millimetres in diameter. The figure's armour is thick and heavy, looking like plates of Carbon Fibre or Tungsten Carbide. There has also been some treatment to the armour, as it seems to absorb more light than shines upon it, making it difficult to ascertain the exact location of the solitary person within the shadows. Their entire body is covered in armour, as well as gun holsters and pouches for ammunition. The figure's helmet has no discernible front or back, making it impossible to know which way they are looking by examination of the head alone. Six holsters are spaced out across their body; two positioned on the lower back, two at the hips, and one on the outer side of each thigh. Each holster carries a pistol, and all pistols are the same: SIG Sauer P226 Tacticals. Each pistol is pitch black, each is loaded with an extended magazine, and each pistol has the hammer raised, the guns having been de-cocked to make them drop safe. The figure also holds an automatic shotgun in their hands: an Atchisson AA-12. They breathe heavily, and whisper to themselves irritably.

“Well this is one delightful peach of a messed up situation I'm in, God damn it. I shouldn't even be doing this crap! I'm not cut out to play this kind of role, and now I'm paying the price for that. I'm up against the Pistol Prince dammit! There's no way I can hold him off much longer. He's penetrated my Knox Armour so easily, and I can't even scratch him. When this is over, I'm kicking Silver Horn's arse for his cowardice! Jesus, I don't even know where that little brat is.” Only a gust of wind answers him, before silence descends, suffocating the man in an oppressive blanket. Time stretches out to eternity, with not a sound to break the tension that strains the world itself. As the figure adjusts his position, scanning the area, a shadow races across the ground towards him. A resounding metallic clang rends the peace, followed by the clatter of stone on stone. The man rolls aside and begins firing wildly, each shell blasting craters into the ruined buildings. Silence follows the burst of gunfire, and the man breathes harder than ever, practically hyperventilating as adrenaline surges through his veins. A red line appears in his field of vision, aimed at his head. _Prediction Line! Move!_ The man dives to his left, a single bullet whistling past his ear to punch a hole in the truck's catalytic converter. As he dives, the man sees a second prediction line, but it doesn't target him. Instead, it targets the underside of the armoured truck. It targets the fuel tank. _Oh shit!_ There is a flash of light, and then the world becomes flooded with a deafening roar, searing heat, and the orange radiance of fire. The man is thrown out into the open street, landing roughly on his back, shotgun flying through the air. He watches his health bar emptying rapidly, before stopping on a slither of red. As the gun hits the ground, a bullet shatters it from existence. The man looks up weakly, and watches as a figure dives from the top of the city's tallest building, his silhouette looking strangely wide.

“That's... a Wing suit. Almost no-one buys them... because they get shot out of the sky... or because they keep splatting on the ground. This kid... makes it look... so easy. Damn! _Why?_ Why was _I_ pitted against The Pistol Prince?” The silhouette grows in size as the diver glides down into the street, landing with impossibly cat-like grace. The man winces at the sight of the landing. _He just dove eight hundred metres without a parachute, and landed like it was eight centimetres. He must be wearing all kinds of armour specifically for that purpose. Impact Braces, Shock Dampers, and Antigravity Boots, at the very least_. The diver turns around, allowing the armoured man to see him clearly. The diver is young, about eighteen years old. Their silver hair spikes out aggressively, matching in perfectly with the spiked chrome goggles that shield his eyes. He doesn't seem to be wearing any armour. Not any kind of obvious armour at least. The young man is covered in holsters and ammunition pouches. Six holsters run up each leg. There are another two holsters on each arm. Six holsters are strapped to his back, while eight surround his waist. A holster hangs below each shoulder, and two more sit over his diaphragm. There's even a holster attached to the back of his neck, one to each buttock, and one on each side of each boot. Forty-one holsters in total, and only two of these are devoid of pistols. The young man carries a pistol in each hand as well. _There's one missing. The Pistol Prince carries forty two pistols. Everyone knows that. Where is it? Where is the Daybreaker?_ The young man looks down upon his wounded opponent.

“Your armour isn't half bad. Treated with Super Black right? It's invisible even to night vision goggles. That's pretty hardcore, and a pretty decent advantage on this map, but ultimately not good enough. These aren't _just_ trendy Cyberpunk goggles I'm wearing. The lenses are Light Screens; computers that map out distortions in light. Using tracer rounds as well gave me all the advantages I needed. I just had to track the abnormal absorption of light to reveal your location. You never stood a chance against me, but the tactics you displayed were an interesting learning experience. Would you like to know where you went wrong? There were three key areas. Area One: You were overdependent on your armour. You trusted that the Super Black treatment would render you effectively invisible, when in actuality it did no such thing, not against _me_ anyway. Area Two: You lost control of your sense of reality. You stopped believing that this was a game and convinced yourself that it was reality. Death here is meaningless. Gun Gale Online is just a game. As realistic as it can be, what with the sensations of pain, it is _not_ real. You forgot that, and became panicked as a result. Area Three, and this _really_ is the most important one: You underestimated your opponent. I may be seventeen, but that doesn't mean I'm not skilled. My Agility and Acrobatics stats are maxed out, and my Strength stat isn't far behind. There isn't a weapon in GGO I cannot use, but I prefer pistols for their stylishness, their precision, and their dual-wielding capabilities. They might _look_ small, but I assure you they pack more than enough punch. Just look at your Knox Armour. I did all that with 9mm Parabellum rounds. How? Easy, I used physics. Sniper physics. Firing at a low target from a high vantage point counters bullet drop, so therefore the bullet's velocity decreases less than it would if it were fired parallel to the ground. Because it encounters less resistance, it reaches the target at a higher velocity. Higher velocity equals higher penetration power, so even a 9mm Parabellum can punch like a .50 calibre round.” The man sighs.

“Sniping with pistols. I never would have thought it was possible. Especially since you don't have scopes. Your eyesight must be incredible. But, you're wrong about two things.” The young man raises an eyebrow.

“Oh? And what might those be?” The man lay still and silent for a moment.

“Underestimating the opponent. I never underestimated you for a second. And I only _acted_ panicked, to lure you down to street level.” A whirring sound fills the air, and the road behind the young man starts being torn up by a torrent of bullets. The young man spins around in surprise. _A Sentry Drone? Bastard!_ Rather than attempt to run away from the shots hammering down on him, the young man runs towards them, pistols levelled before him. He aims the guns upwards at a forty-five degree angle, and fires eight times, maintaining his pace as well. He runs through the curtain of gunfire, his eight shots creating a gap. Even with the safe passage, bullets scream down all around him, drilling a hole into the ground. He raises the guns higher and shoots twice more, both rounds creating a metallic clang. As a large shadow falls down to the ground, the young man fires a single bullet straight up above himself. The bullet casing hits the ground a split second before a flash of silver bombs the street. A chrome sphere shines out from amidst the dust, and opens itself up, forming a four legged robot, with a pair of miniguns on its back. The robot turns to face the young man, who calmly fires off fifteen rounds at the robot's head, each shot releasing a shower of sparks, but doing very little damage over all. The whirring starts up again as the barrels of the miniguns start spinning. Once again, the young man runs straight at the Sentry Drone, even though his world rapidly turns red as his vision is obscured by Prediction Lines. At the last second, he goes into a dive-roll, leaping over the cloud of bullets, tossing his pistols aside at the same time. As he soars over the lethal barrage, a gun falls into his outstretched right hand: a pistol of the Flintlock design, but with a futuristic, almost alien look to it. The barrel and butt of the pistol is mostly metallic crimson in colour, but with veins of glowing neon green spidering out randomly. The end of the barrel flares outwards like a Blunderbuss, and a small sniper scope sits on the top. The young man rolls under the Drone, and aims the gun at its throat.

“Time to silence your droning, tin-can.” He pulls the trigger, but instead of a bullet; a sphere of blinding blue-white light fires out. The light passes through the Sentry Drone's throat, decapitating it. The orb rises five metres into the air, then turns black and collapses in on itself. The young man feels the wrenching of an immense gravitational pull, one which drags the Drone into the air. The moment the Drone touches the collapsed orb, it is disintegrated, utterly destroyed without any remains or residue. As suddenly as it appeared, the orb vanishes, the extreme gravity vanishing with it. The diver stands calmly, brushing dust from his clothing, and popping the vertebrae in his neck.

“Damn Sentry Drones.” The young man sighs wearily. _Ever since the 6.1 Update, those fuckers have been popping up all over the place. They're a nuisance that I keep having to deal with. Well, it's to be expected. GGO's developers have been trying to shut me down for years, trying to see me defeated. Every Update sees some new feature intended to beat me, and each time I bust it up. I can't say I blame them exactly. I mean, it gets boring when the same player wins the Bullet of Bullets 499 times in a row. Well, maybe if the other players didn't suck so much I wouldn't keep winning. It's not_ my _fault the game's too easy. This is my final BoB anyway. Five hundred consecutive victories, that's the goal. I might continue playing Gun Gale in a casual capacity though. The game's not bad all in all. I'm digging the post-apocalyptic décor, and the weapons are pretty neat too. It's just... not a challenge any more. I cleared all of the solo missions in just thirty-six hours. The co-op missions took longer because everyone took so damn long to reach my level. Even then, I had to go it alone most times because everyone else would get killed. The Updates, the ease of play, the weak players, it's the same no matter where I go or what I play. GGO and Alfheim Online are the only VRMMORPGs that I regularly play any more. Nothing else can keep up with me. I suppose once I'm done here, they'll announce the 6.2 Update. Rumour has it that there's going to be a new Energy-type Sniper Rifle that shoots through solid objects without leaving a mark. Being a Sniper Rifle, the first shot won't have a Prediction Line. If they think that'll stop me, they're wrong. They still haven't figured out how I'm using the Defence Field. This new rifle is going to fail at it's purpose of killing me_. The young man looks around, noticing something missing.

“Where did the Shotgun Surgeon run off to? Hm... come to think of it, I haven't seen _any_ of the other players. Could they be duking it out elsewhere on the map?” He checks his wristwatch, and sighs. _I've still got three minutes before the next satellite sweep. It might be an idea to take cover until it passes, and take myself off the map._ The young man places the Flintlock in his Item Storage, seeing the gun's name as he does so. _The Daybreaker. An appropriate name really. It's a Singularity Weapon. The rounds it fires are Quantum Graviton bullets contained within a sphere of ionised plasma. When the bullet impacts something, it begins to collapse in on itself. The plasma acts as a catalyst, generating a Quantum Singularity. In other words; a Black Hole. The Singularity's Event Horizon extends four metres from the core, the core being the bullet itself. Anything trapped within the Event Horizon is sucked into the core and instantly destroyed. I was lying on the ground, outside of the range of the Event Horizon. Even so, I felt the pull. If it wasn't for my gear, it would have pulled me in, most likely. Fortunately for me, I have a Gravity Inverter Unit strapped to my spine. I can control Gravity within its field, and reduce its pulling power. No-one knows I have a GI Unit. Not yet anyway. I couldn't interfere with Gravity any more than I already did without giving the game away. Luckily, Singularities created by The Daybreaker don't last long. Seven seconds at the most. People ought to assume I just wasn't close enough to be killed by my own round, this time._ The young man retrieves his discarded pistols, reloading the magazines, before heading towards the remains of the armoured truck. He stops at an intersection ten metres from the truck. He looks left, then right, seeing nothing but dimly lit streets lined with crumbling buildings. _If I head left, I can make it to the river with sixty seconds to spare. If I head right, there's a sewer grate I can slip into. Either way takes me off the map, but both leave me pretty vulnerable. If someone sees me take a swim, they can snipe me as I surface. If I'm spotted going into the sewers, I can be flushed out with grenades. That's assuming I make it to either one. The Shotgun Surgeon could be waiting for me somewhere, ready to ambush me. True, he only has pistols left, but a pair of bullets to the back of my head will end me. Then there's the other players to account for. I don't know where they're hiding. I could be ambushed at any time. So, which way do I go?_ A tinny clang rings out from the street to his right, the sound of a soda can being knocked over. The young man raises his pistols either side of him, trying to cover his left and right flanks simultaneously. _Snipers aren't that careless, and these players aren't so clumsy. The sound was deliberate, but why? What are they thinking I'll do? If they think I'll run, then there's snipers before me and assault rifles behind. They'll cut me down if I run left. If they think I'll investigate the sound, then there's two possibilities here. Number One is that the roles are reversed. Snipers behind and carbines in front. Number Two is that they're all in front of me, waiting to lure me into the Kill Box before burying me in bullets. I have two options then: run towards the truck, or back the way I came. Just how smart are these people though? Do they know that I'm thinking these things? If they are, then all four routes are blocked off. That would require more than just a handful of players. I don't know how many are still alive. I haven't heard any fighting in the distance. It's entirely possible that all twenty-nine are still alive, and all working against me. I know I'm not facing just one opponent. The can was a dead give away. They wouldn't try to lure me or spook me if they were working solo. This is a team effort. In any team though, there's always someone who's short on patience. I've been standing here too long. They'll know something is wrong, and their trigger finger will suddenly become very itchy. Let's see if I can make them scratch_. The young man gradually lowers his pistols, and opens the Item Storage again. As he withdraws The Daybreaker, he catches a flash in the corner of his eye. _That's not a muzzle flash, it's the reflection of sunlight on a lens. Sniper round in 2... 1... NOW!_ The young man jerks his head sharply to the left as the shot whistles past, coming close enough to trim a few hairs. He explodes forwards as a sling materializes on his chest, carrying The Daybreaker Flintlock. Prediction Lines criss-cross his field of view and paint his world red, but the young man keeps his pace, pistols raised before him. As gunfire erupts all around him, tearing up the street behind him, the young man begins firing also, his shots carefully coordinated. Every bullet he fires deflects one fired at him, preventing him from being hit. In an instant, he is upon the armoured truck, and uses it as a kind of springboard, launching himself into the air. He continues firing as he twists and somersaults, targeting hidden gunners as much as the bullets aimed at him. The world moves in slow motion to his eyes, with bullets taking seconds just to leave the barrels of the guns that fired them. As he sails through the air, upside-down, he observes a portion of his shadow suddenly leap up in front of him. Moments later, something impacts the shadow, slamming it into the young man's right hip with phenomenal force. The impact causes him to spiral madly towards the ground. _Shit!_ He lands awkwardly before rolling drunkenly to evade the hail of bullets. As he rises to a crouch, the young man tosses both pistols into the air, whilst drawing out The Daybreaker and slapping a hand against his spine. He directs gravity to pull powerfully from the right, feeling the immense force wrench him off his feet. He fires four shots in succession from The Daybreaker, creating a firing arc. The shots find their marks with the scream of steel and person, huge craters suddenly forming in the ruined buildings which then begin to collapse as their structural integrity is lost. Shadow discs rise up to protect the young man from gunshots as he is flung into a narrow alleyway. He takes shelter in the darkness, listening to the chaos he created. Rubble rains down with a sound like a freight train, people cry out in shock or pain, glass shatters musically, and all the while the young man hides, observing the portion of missing health with a sour expression. _That didn't go according to plan. It's been a long time since a Sniper hit me, but this wasn't just any Sniper. That round came from Hecate II, which means it was Sinon who shot me. Credit where it's due; that girl is a remarkable shot, but I'm going to have to punish her for it._ The young man's wristwatch beeps, drawing his attention. A satellite feed materializes in the alley, showing the entire map. _All players are located in this portion of the city. Wait, we're missing a few. The player count is twenty-one. So nine have been eliminated. That adds up then. There are twenty-one players in this city, and they're all surrounding me. Every single one of them has a clear line of fire at this alley's entrance by the looks of things. Looking at the orientation of hostiles, I've got a full spread on my hands. Full spread, twenty enemies, focused attention, setting sun. The stage is all set and the audience is waiting. I think it's time I got to the Main Event. Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome on stage: The Pistol Prince!_ The young man places The Daybreaker back into the sling, before calmly walking out into the open street. His hands are stretched out either side of him, a Colt M1911 pistol resting on the back of each hand. He slowly rotates on the spot, before coming to rest, facing away from the armoured truck, his head hanging low. Inexplicably, he starts tapping his right foot on the ground rhythmically. Soon after, his head starts bobbing up and down in time with the foot tapping, and music begins to play within his mind, an old song he first heard five years ago. The world turns red instantaneously as his vision is obscured by Prediction Lines. The Pistol Prince catapults skywards so rapidly that for a moment, he seems to be in two places simultaneously, while the street below him is erased by concentrated gunfire. The pistols that were balanced upon his hands are flung upwards, and they're not the only ones. In total, eighteen of the young man's pistols are sent airborne, travelling roughly in the same direction but at different speeds. The Pistol Prince spins himself in mid-air, grabbing a pair of Walther PPKs. As he drops towards the ground, he lines up his first shots, and begins pulling the trigger. The Prince lands gracefully and immediately breaks out into a kind of street dance. Every flip, every spin, every thrust of his arms is accompanied by a perfectly choreographed gunshot, each bullet punctuating the song that plays in his mind. The Prince's dance is filled with spirals and somersaults and shoulder spins. Every shot he fires is perfectly in time with the music that only he hears. From the peripherals of his vision, he witnesses his opponents being cut down by choreographed gunfire, even their guns and their bodies fall in time with the song. As the chambers on his pistols slide open, the Pistol Prince brings them back into his holsters, not bothering to try reloading them in the midst of his strange yet lethal dance. Instead, other pistols fall from above into his hands at precisely the right moments in his dance, and he continues the pattern of musical death, occasionally flinging other pistols into the air, in time with the beat of course. Pretty soon, only two pistols remain that still have ammunition within their magazines. The Prince spins these about his index fingers, still keeping in time with the song in his mind, and starts marching towards a skyscraper. Aside from a single large calibre round fired from the skyscraper, the gunfire has stopped. The Prince fires four rounds in rapid succession, the chamber on the gun in his left hand locking open. He picks up the pace, and tosses both pistols into the air again, drawing The Daybreaker once more. He rests its barrel against the back of his left wrist to steady it, as he aims at the skyscraper before him. He aims around the mid-level of the building, and fires three shots at it. The middle of the skyscraper is almost completely erased by Singularities, and the upper levels of the building fall forwards, towards the Prince. A solitary female figure dives from near the rooftop, and lands with a perfectly timed roll, her Acrobatics score evidently close to maximum, if not already full. The Prince catches a glimpse of her blue hair whipping around as she turns and runs, firing a short burst from her machine pistol to try and keep him at bay. The Prince holsters The Daybreaker again, and goes into a spin, pistols falling into his hands as he does so. He fires a single bullet as he pirouettes, and amazingly; the bullet curves, flying around the corner that Sinon had fled. A heavy clatter echoes out from the street, before a klaxon sounds. A message appears in the sky.

“Congratulations Barrett! You are the winner of the 503rd Bullet of Bullets.” 

The world collapses around the Pistol Prince, and he finds himself standing in the tournament dome, face-to-face with a group of very irate gunners. The Prince nods nonchalantly.

“Good game guys. That was fun. Shame you wasted the Sentry Drone though.” A figure barges to the front of the crowd, and the Prince recognises him as being the Shotgun Surgeon.

“Fuck you hacker!” The Prince raises an eyebrow.

“Imbecile. I don't need to hack to defeat you. Only tactics and the right gear. If I was hacking, the GGO admins would know about it and ban me. Yet here I stand. You know what that means? I won fair and square. You don't like it? Then go and play Safari Snap Online. That should be easy enough even for you to play.” The Shotgun Surgeon snarls angrily, loading his AA-12.

“Why you-!” A single gunshot rings out, and the Shotgun Surgeon's head snaps back, a single nine millimetre hole situated right between the eyes. The Surgeon's avatar disintegrates and vanishes. The mob stare at the Pistol Prince in shock, seeing a Beretta 92F in his left hand, the barrel smoking slightly. He looks weary and impatient in equal measure.

“Typical shotgun user, all action no logic. You can't beat me in a quick draw, that's for sure. I'm sick of this bullshit. Sick of all the accusations. It's so typical of weak gamers. Every time they lose to someone more skilled, instead of accepting their own inexperience and weakness, they cry 'cheat' and 'hacker'. It's retarded, and frightfully immature. Accept defeat and learn from it. That's how you become stronger, by learning where you are weak and compensating for that. I'll even help you, if you have the humility and maturity to ask. Or you can be a child, throw a tantrum, and get your head blown off. What's it to be? Become like me, or end up like him?” He starts walking, meaning to pass through the gathered players and into the lift. As he passes into the middle of the group, he sees hands reaching for weapons. Once more, the Prince starts ripping pistols from their holsters, flinging some up above him, while holding onto a pair of FN Five seveNs. He is much faster at loading and aiming his guns, and as a result is able to open fire first. It doesn't seem like he's even taking the time to aim. The Prince simply swings his guns around himself and fires at just the right time to score two headshots on each player gathered, prioritising those that are fastest at loading and aiming their own weapons. Avatars all around disintegrate and vanish. He sighs wearily as he holsters his pistols, and a single booming shot shakes the air itself. The Prince dodges on a reflex, and sees the figure standing behind him, holding a Photon Sword. The figure has no head, and the avatar crumbles out of existence. He turns back to see Sinon, holding Hecate II. He nods to her.

“Thanks for the cover.” Sinon ejects the spent round.

“You're welcome. Unlike the others, I have no issues with losing. The BoB is not such a big deal to me as it is to them, evidently. Besides, I'll need you alive if I'm to get answers to my questions. Finding you outside of a tournament is next to impossible, and trust me I've been trying.” The Prince pops the vertebrae in his neck.

“I see. Well, if it's answers you seek, let's find a bar. I need a drink after that fight. You're the first person to deal damage to me in three years, and the first sniper to hit me in four and a half years. You've earned my respect for that. No ordinary sniper can hit me as easily as you did.” Sinon shoulders her rifle.

“If it's a drink you're after, then perhaps you're interested in The Buckshot Bar. The drinks there are the best in the game. Not that I've met anyone who agrees.” The Prince smiles.

“Well, you have now, because The Buckshot is my regular watering hole. So to speak. The drinks there don't taste like oil, unlike the bizarrely popular Magnum Madhouse. Shall we?” Sinon nods.

“Lead on.” The pair enter the elevator and ride it up to ground level. As the doors slide open, a wall of noise assails them. Cheering fans, jeering critics, and news hungry reporters crowd around them. The Pistol Prince starts marching through with a sour expression, Sinon following close behind. A reporter shoves a microphone in the Prince's face.

“You've won 500 Bullet of Bullet tournaments in a row. Will it ever end for you, or do you plan on winning them all?” The Prince pushes the microphone back a bit.

“It ends now. I only wanted 500 consecutive victories. From now on, I'll just be playing GGO in a casual capacity. No more tournaments, no more missions, just me, my guns, and a Cyberpunk paradise.” This answer causes a mixed response. Many people cheer or sigh with relief, while others sound shocked or disappointed. Another microphone appears before him.

“Rumour has it that you are the number one gamer in over three hundred VRMMORPGs. Is this true?” The Prince nods.

“I'm the number one in exactly 743 games, so technically yes, the rumour is true.” The second reporter jumps in with another question, apparently having pre-prepared it.

“What is your motivation for becoming number one in so many games.” The Prince hesitates, a flash of pain in his eyes.

“My reasons are personal, and that's all I'll say on the matter.” A third microphone extends out from the writhing masses.

“In two weeks time, the new VRMMORPG known as Destiny's Calling Online will be launched. Are you going to become the number one _there_ as well?” The Prince shakes his head.

“I'm a solo player, and DCO is strictly a team game, rigged to be impossible for solo players to complete. I have no intention of playing a game if I can't complete it. Finding teams to work with for this game was hard enough as it is. I was always the last man standing because no one could keep up with me. Unless I find other players of my level, you won't see me in DCO.” A fourth microphone knocks the first and third ones aside.

“What about if you were teamed up with Kirito?” The Prince stops dead, and looks at the reporter. Her avatar is of a green-haired girl in a black leather biker jacket, her red eyes shining maliciously, in quite the contrast to her sweet smile and shy demeanour. _Typical nice girl pretending to be a mean girl. Why can't players just be themselves?_

“The Black Swordsman of New Aincrad? If he's as good as the rumours say he is, then it's a possibility. Rumour has it he hangs around with a number of highly skilled Alfheim Online veterans. If that's true, and if they can keep up with me, then, and _only then_ ; I'll play Destiny's Calling Online.” The Prince starts walking again, and takes a deep breath before shouting over the nose.

“No more questions! I need a drink, not a headache! Ask again another time! Thank you!” The crowd begins to dissipate with much disappointed groaning. Soon, Sinon and the Prince are outside. Sinon sees a heavily modified motorcycle sitting at the bottom of the stairs, and the Prince heading towards it.

“That's _your_ ride? Must have cost you a fortune.” The Prince shrugs.

“Fifty grand to buy it, five million to upgrade it. Considering I make up to ten million every time I win the BoB, I tend not to break a sweat about dropping seven figure sums. Besides, she's worth every credit. You won't find a faster vehicle in the game, guaranteed. Not even the Sonic Train keeps up with her. I know that for a fact.” The Prince climbs on the bike and turns on the ignition. A low whirring sound starts up, surprisingly quiet. Sinon climbs onto the bike behind him, holding on to the back of his Wing Suit.

“You're going to have to hold on a lot tighter than that if you want to avoid being left behind by the Quicksilver. She doesn't have a 0-100 rating because it happens too quickly to be timed. She goes 0-750 in 0.0008 seconds though. Does that give you an idea of how fast she is?” Sinon tries to joke around.

“You know, you could always just drive normally.” The Prince seems to think about this for a time, and Sinon is oblivious to the whine changing pitch, like a jet engine powering up.

“I could do that, but...” The world around them explodes into a multicoloured blur, and a furious hurricane threatens to rip Sinon off of the bike. She clings to the Pistol Prince for dear life. After only two seconds, the world returns to normal and the wind disappears. It takes a moment for Sinon to realise that they are parked outside of The Buckshot Bar.

“But driving normally is insanely boring.” A sonic boom reverberates in the air, shattering windows all around. Sinon looks shocked.

“We just travelled from the Director General's office, to this bar, in two seconds?” The Prince nods.

“Yup. A distance of 3.3 kilometres, travelling at a speed of 6,000 km/h. That's roughly Mach 6, on a motorcycle. Neat huh? I told you the Quicksilver was the fastest vehicle in the game. Since I know it's going to be one of your questions, I used a scaled down version of the starship engine used aboard the Battleship Nebuchadnezzar. According to this world's storyline that is. I'll spare you the technical details, but it's the engine that made this bike so costly to modify. Getting the specs wasn't easy, nor the materials or fuel for that matter. Still, my perseverance paid off, in spades I might add.” Sinon's mouth opens and closes wordlessly a few times, giving her the appearance of a fish out of water. Finally, she finds her voice again.

“You used the engine of this world's fastest starship, to drive a motorcycle? How? Why?” The Prince smiles mischievously as he dismounts from the bike.

“I don't know how to answer the 'How' part, given that it's just technical jargon in the form of verbal diarrhoea. The 'Why' part is very simple though: because I could. That's it. That's all the reason I needed. In the end, no more reason is necessary.” Sinon sighs as she climbs off the bike as well.

“What a profound answer. I hope they won't _all_ be like this. I _would_ like to get _some_ straight answers from you.” The Prince nods.

“You will. I figured that these were just the preliminary questions, ones that aren't important to you, ones that you've only just thought to ask. For any and all questions you've been wanting to ask, for however long you've been wanting to ask them, those questions will receive straight answers. You have my word. Just bear in mind that I like to joke around. If things become too serious, too monotonous, I get restless. It's just the way I am. Anyway, that's enough standing around. I need a drink before I start drinking.” The Prince walks towards the bar's entrance, forcing Sinon to rush after him. The moment the Prince pushes the doors open, a gunshot rings out, and the Prince's left shoulder kicks back, a gunshot wound clearly visible. The bartender holds a rifle aimed at the Prince, his expression stern.

“You've got some nerve showing up here after the stunt you pulled!” The Prince tries to smile, despite the pain.

“To which stunt are you referring? Smashing all the windows with Quicksilver's sonic boom? Wasting a bunch of poor sportsmen who couldn't accept defeat? Or maybe you're pissed that I used your wife as a decoy?” The barman growls.

“No, I'm not pissed about _that_. What I _am_ pissed about is that you then freed that money-loving parasite from the mercenaries that _I_ hired to get rid of her.” The Prince sighs, and walks up to the bar.

“What do you want from me? An apology? Alright, I'm sorry I saved that leech on your bank account from being iced. I'm sorry I exterminated all of your mercenaries. And I'm also sorry that you're an idiot. Vince, how many times do I have to tell you? If you want someone dead, talk to _me_ about it. What, you think that the 500 time winner of the BoB can't kill a single soulless bitch?” Vince holds the Prince's gaze.

“Not _this_ soulless bitch. I know you too well _Prince_. You've got a soft spot for the 'Damsel in Distress' scenario, and my whore of a wife is unbeatable when it comes to _that_ act. You can't defeat that Succubus.” The Prince raises an eyebrow.

“Oh? What makes you so sure?” Vince lowers his rifle.

“Because she's fooled you eighty-seven times already.” The Prince hesitates for a moment.

“Oh yeah!” Silence stretches out for a moment, before both Vince and the Prince burst out laughing. The sudden fits of hysterics catches Sinon completely by surprise. _What in the world is going on here? Are these two friends or enemies? I just can't tell any more_. The Prince sits down on a barstool, still chuckling. Vince opens up his inventory and hands the Prince a red vial.

“Here, take this for your shoulder. I'm guessing you'll want the usual as well?” The Prince shakes his head.

“No, not today. After all I've had thrust at me today, I need something with more kick to it. Set me up with a 357 Vince, I need to take the edge right off.” Vince nods.

“You got it S.” As the Prince drinks the contents of the red vial, his shoulder healing up, Sinon wonders over to sit next to him.

“So I take it you two know each other. Well enough to be so informal with one another.” The Prince nods.

“That's right. Vince and I have known each other for about five years now. Only online though. Vince lives over in New York, which is pretty far away from me, living in Matsudo. Our first encounter was Alfheim Online. Vince plays as an Undine, and I'm a Spriggan. Spriggans and Undines have been getting along well thanks to the alliance, but the Undines are the only allies of the Spriggans. So far. Anyway, Vince was out doing some quests and ended up wandering into Spriggan territory. A party of six PKers ambushed him. What they didn't know is that they were being hunted, by me. I've got nothing against PKing as long as it's fair, or if it serves a purpose, but these guys had a reputation for killing other players to troll them basically. That's something I can't stand, or ignore. So when I see them attacking Vince, I swoop in and tear them apart. Four of them were dead before they even knew they were under attack. One-hit kills. The other two were panicked and infinitely outclassed. I was six times their level, so they didn't stand a chance against me. Both were killed in three moves. Combined that is. I don't really care about being labelled as a Red Player, or a PKer. I do what I think is right, and to Hell with what anyone else says. It took a bit of talking to assure Vince that I wasn't going to turn around and kill him for profit or whatever. After a while though, he realised I was genuinely helping him, and since then we've been friends. We both play in a fair number of games, but we're never in a team for long. As I said during the interviews: I'm a solo player. I prefer it that way. No one to depend upon, and no one depending on me either. Anyway, Vince here's got a pretty nasty habit of getting married in games, and it almost never works out well. The soulless bitch we were referring to is number 18 out of Vince's 56 wives. None of whom he even _knows_ in the real world, let alone loves. Her game name is Subtle Shadow Diva, which isn't entirely inappropriate of her. She's a stealthy player here, and a very convincing liar. Rumour has it she's one of the top 20 Stealth users in GGO, which is pretty impressive. In case you were wondering, I'm in the top 15 for Stealth. Diva is a Rogue type player; light on armour and firepower, but with impressive Acrobatics, Stealth and Agility stats. She's made it to the final round of BoB a few times, though I never actually got the chance to fight her. Not fairly anyway. We've only crossed paths three times in the tournament. The first time, someone threw a grenade at me, so I threw it at her. The second time I kicked her off the top of a skyscraper.” Sinon looks expectantly.

“And the third time?” Vince comes back with a shot glass containing a silver liquid.

“The third time he parked a fuel truck on top of her legs before blowing it, and her, to kingdom come.” The Prince seems to pout.

“She had it coming to her. There is no excuse for kicking a man in the balls.” Vince chuckles at this.

“You might be right about that. She's done everything in her power to avoid you since then, so that actually helped me out a little. She's afraid of what you're capable of when you're pissed off. It's just a shame that she also knows how to wrap you round her little finger.” The Prince sighs wearily.

“You're never going to let me live that down are you? Well, whatever. How about we just skip past that ordeal. All eighty-seven of them. Pour Sinon a Parabellum Punch on me Vince. It wouldn't be fair if I was the only one drinking.” Vince nods and starts mixing a cocktail. Sinon looks at the Prince in surprise.

“How do you know what I like to drink?” The Prince knocks back the shot glass before answering.

“Because I've had Vince here keep tabs on you, ever since the 444th BoB. You spent over an hour harassing me, stalking me, and always escaping me. You had my interest, so I wanted to find out what I could. I must have hired about a hundred investigators, but none of them could turn up anything except for your name, and that of your rifle, both of which I already knew. Then Vince here happens to mention that you're a regular, so I turned to him to get some answers. I picked up on a few things, like the drink for instance. Then there was the fact that you and Kirito won the 3rd BoB together, during that whole Death Gun business. Still, there's a lot of questions I don't have answers to, but I'd like to, sometime.” Sinon looks at the Prince curiously.

“I see. So, you and Vince have been friends for five years. He shot you in the shoulder, and I'm guessing that was because of the mercenaries. I'll skip that subject, and the whole wife killing business. I don't think I want to know. If I asked you why he called you 'S', what would you say?” The Prince glances at Sinon, then removes his goggles. Sinon gets a look at his eyes. His left eye is brown, while his right is green.

“Because, my real name is Sora Saki. I suppose that's pretty appropriate really. I tend to spend a lot of time with my head in the clouds, both literally and metaphorically. I hang out in high places, when I'm not flying. Oh, and if you're wondering about my eyes, they look the same in real life as well. That's the only part of my appearance that's true in both worlds.” Sinon hesitates.

“I see. Earlier, you said that you were retiring from the Bullet of Bullets, that you would only be playing GGO in a casual capacity from now on. Is that true? And why would you go to 500 consecutive victories? Is there any reason why it's that number and not any other?” Sora gestures for another drink.

“There's no real reason I wanted 500 victories, it just seems like a nice round number. I thought of going to a thousand, but the prospect of another 500 easy victories doesn't thrill me. To answer the first of those questions, it _is_ true that I'm switching to casual gameplay. The Bullet of Bullets doesn't thrill me like it used to. It seems more like a chore instead. The missions, well they're so boring I could complete them in my sleep. There really isn't anything to challenge me any more. Not unless they want to modify the BoB so that it'll be, I dunno, say two thousand people all against me. That might entice me back into the tournament. Of course, they'll have to remember to include some form of Friendly Fire Protocol, or it'll end up being too easy for me still. Don't get me wrong, BoB tournaments can still surprise me sometimes. You were the first person to shoot me in so long I'd forgotten that my health bar can actually drop below full health.” Sinon glances at the bar as Vince places a drink in front of her, and another in front of Sora.

“Which brings me onto the next set of questions, all of which are about today's BoB. Since you mentioned me shooting you, I'll start there. What was it that blocked my shot?” Sora smiles mischievously.

“A good place to start that is. The answer is my armour. It's a unique item, something I myself crafted. Shadowsteel Armour. You don't wear the armour, it exists in your shadow. That black disc that blocked your shot? That was Shadowsteel. The main advantages of Shadowsteel Armour are that you don't wear it, which means no speed penalty. On top of that, people assume that you're without armour. Also, if someone stands in your shadow, then they can gain that protection too, if they're an allied player. However, Shadowsteel Armour has its disadvantages as well. It isn't particularly strong, and provides next to zero impact absorption. Additionally, due to the location of the armour, there is a delay between the attack triggering a response from it, and the armour reaching the desired location. As you saw, Vince was able to shoot me. At close range like that, it's easy to do. Anything within five metres is a guaranteed hit. So why do I wear it when the armour is useless at point blank range? Because I don't typically let players get that close to me. In battle, I never sit still, and I never get within ten metres of an opponent unless I have to. Of course, if the situation dictates it, I can physically wear the Shadowsteel Armour, but I don't like to. I lose the element of surprise for one. For another... it's too tight in... in certain places.” Vince snorts as he suppresses laughter, and Sora looks somewhat uncomfortable with that. Sinon looks amazed by the answer.

“Shadowsteel Armour? I heard that it existed, but I never knew anyone had actually crafted it. The armour is supposed to the hardest to make in the entire game. It was estimated that the expenses necessary for crafting Shadowsteel Armour are equivalent to ten full-body suits of Knox Armour. Is there anything you own that didn't cost a seven figure sum?” Sora smiles.

“I can see why you'd ask that. If you're being serious, then I _do_ have multiple possessions costing less than a million credits. With the exception of The Daybreaker, all of my weapons cost me five digits at best. The goggles were fifty-seven thousand credits. The holsters total six thousand. There are a few miscellaneous items in my inventory costing three hundred thousand at the most, that one being the Wing Suit I'm wearing. It's only that costly because it's Kevlar, that's all.” Sinon nods.

“I see. So, what exactly _is_ the Daybreaker?” Sora opens up his inventory, and withdraws the Daybreaker. He places the Flintlock onto the bar. Sinon gazes at the metallic crimson body, the neon green veins reflected in her eyes.

“As you can see, the Daybreaker is a pistol of the Flintlock design. Mostly anyway. The barrel bells outwards like a Blunderbuss, as you can see. Firing action is semi-automatic. Magazine capacity is forty-two rounds. Range is twelve hundred metres. The Daybreaker is what is known as a Singularity Weapon. The gun fires a two-part projectile. The first part is the bullet itself: a compressed Graviton round of the 7.62mm calibre. The second part is a sphere of ionised plasma, three centimetres in diameter. When the bullet impacts a target, the Graviton particles lose stability and begin to accelerate towards Critical Mass. The plasma catalyses this, forcing the bullet to collapse in on itself. The unstable Graviton particles collapse and become a Quantum Singularity; a Black Hole. The Event Horizon typically extends four metres out. Anything caught in the Event Horizon is fucked, to put it bluntly. The target matter is subjected to insane gravitational strength which tears it apart into energy, energy which cannot escape the gravitational pull and is therefore lost for eternity. There is no resistance to the Daybreaker. No immunity. No way to protect yourself from it. You can try killing the wielder, stopping them from firing the gun in the first place, but there's one critical flaw with that plan: _I'm_ the wielder. I haven't lost a single battle in the entire time I've played GGO, and I don't plan on losing either.” Sinon nods.

“I can believe that. You've won 500 consecutive BoB tournaments, and this latest one was amongst a handful which some might consider close. Maybe not you, but some would. From what I've heard, you've never been injured in a BoB, not by another player at least, until today. I'm aware of one incident in which a motorcycle you rode was tagged by an NPC in a rare glitch, and you took minor damage in that crash. There was also a self inflicted injury from a fragmentation grenade you used, which detonated earlier than you had anticipated. Those are the only two I'm aware of, aside from occasional fall damage. On the subject of fall damage: how is it that you dove eight hundred metres and landed without a scratch? Even with a Wing Suit, that's impossible.” Sora sighs.

“The answer to this question will almost certainly answer another one you might have, perhaps even two of them.” He stands up and faces away from Sinon. He unzips his Wing Suit and rolls it down to his hips. Sinon almost doesn't notice the blue crystal attached to Sora's spine. She is distracted by a surprisingly plain torso, lacking any clearly defined muscles, which is unusual for a player with high Acrobatics stats. Then she sees the crystal; an azure diamond connected physically to Sora's spine.

“Is that what I think it is?” Sora shrugs as he rolls up his Wing Suit, clothing himself again.

“That depends on what you think it is really.” Vince speaks instead of Sinon.

“That looks to me like a Gravity Inverter Unit. Those aren't cheap, and most people can't use them at all, let alone with any kind of proficiency. Is that how you kept dodging the gunfire in that last mad dash?” Sora nods.

“That's right. The trick to using a GI Unit is to remember this following rule: The GI Unit does _not_ actually invert gravity. What it does instead is to create an intense gravitational field in a location of your designation, which then pulls you and anything within the field towards it. When I fled into the alleyway, I directed the GI Unit to create a field in that direction. When I launched myself into the sky, it's because I created a field that wrenched me skywards. I don't recommend doing _that_ by the way. I practically gave myself whiplash doing it. When I dove from the skyscraper, I used gravitational pulses to slow my descent just as I came in to land, making it look as though I'd simply floated down on an air current. It took a lot of practice before I could use it so efficiently, but entirely worthwhile I'd say. The GI Unit's got me out of many a sticky situation, though this is the first time I've used it so obviously in a BoB tournament. Until now, I'd always used it sparingly at the most. That said, I don't often get into hairy situations, and that was quite the bastard. I had no choice but to reveal one of my secrets.” Sinon presses on.

“Like bullet deflection? How did you manage to perfect that?” Sora pauses for a moment.

“Hm. This is a difficult one for me to give a straight answer to. Maxing my Dexterity stat certainly helped. I also have arguably the highest level of precision within the game, as well as arguably the best reflexes. All of these help, but really, it came down to practice. I pulled off bullet deflection accidentally the first time. I was so intrigued by its applications that I dedicated myself to practising the technique. Vince here has patiently aided me with that at times, but there have been others. Some willing, some not-so willing. Over time it just... clicked. I managed to get the timing and precision down perfectly, so that I could pull it off consistently. Now, I rely on bullet deflection to compensate for my armour's disadvantages. I'm not even going to try to explain how I cut a path through the Sentry Drone's bullets. That was all instinct. That's the sort of thing I use it for though. Clearing paths in bullet storms. That, and the obvious avoiding getting shot. I've managed to come up with a few ways to achieve _that_. I can get pretty creative at times.” Sinon nods.

“I'll say. You're also a good dancer, if you don't mind me saying so. That said, I've never seen a dance that could kill so many people before.” Sora smiles.

“That's one of my signature moves in GGO. The Bullet Dance as it's become known. Named after the song of the same name, though I doubt people did that intentionally. I actually came up with the Bullet Dance while listening to that song. The two fit perfectly. Incidentally, Bullet Dance is my favourite song. I don't often perform that move, even if it _has_ become quite iconic with me. I only use it when the ideal situation comes along. If you guys had all been clustered together, I would have thrown myself out with the GI Unit and fired a few rounds from the Daybreaker, but you weren't. You were all evenly spread out. A full spread as I refer to it. That's the ideal basis for using the Bullet Dance. Of course, there was no guarantee that you wouldn't all try to riddle me with holes the moment I left the alley, but I felt the odds were favourable that the sight of me walking calmly into the open, M1911s resting against the backs of my outstretched hands, would cause you all to hesitate as confusion set in. The odds were in my favour it seems, and I eliminated nineteen enemies with the Bullet Dance. You were the sole survivor, being the only sniper who didn't get taken down during my mad dash.” Sinon seems lost in thought for a moment.

“Going back to the bullet deflection, I have to say that your reflexes are impeccable. You were deflecting gunshots with bullets of your own. I've only seen that happen once or twice, but you were consistent. Is there anything more that you can tell me about it? I'd like to learn it myself, since I really don't wear any actual armour.” Sora thinks for a moment.

“Reflexes certainly form a large part of it, but keeping calm is important as well. You're a sniper, so you know all about the Target Assist. The calmer you are, the smaller the circle becomes. My Target Assist never exceeded three centimetres in diameter, at any point during the BoB. During the Bullet Dance, my Target Assist was never larger than thirteen millimetres. I've spent years training my body to stay calm when under duress. I can effectively meditate on the move, even in the middle of a gun fight. From there, deflecting shots is somewhat easier, thanks to the Prediction Lines. Of course, relying solely on those is impractical. A skilled gamer can anticipate the Prediction Lines and get one step ahead of them, blocking inbound shots before they're even fired.” Sinon flinches, experiencing a moment of déjà vu.

“You know, you remind me of Kirito. He said the same thing when I first met him, about anticipating Prediction Lines that is. If the two of you were to go head to head in a Bullet of Bullets tournament, it'd make for an interesting battle, but I think it's extremely likely that you'd beat him.” Sora puffs up his chest proudly.

“I should hope so too! I didn't work my arse of to become number one so that someone else, even a veteran, could best me. You and he were crowned victors of the 3rd BoB. I started playing GGO hardcore shortly after that, entered the 4th BoB, and I've won every single tournament since then. Five hundred victories against one. The numbers say that I'm the superior player, and numbers don't lie.” Sinon nods.

“Evidently. Alright, now for my last question about GGO, and this latest BoB tournament: How the Hell did you kill me? There's no way you could have caught up with me to get a clear line of fire. One moment I'm running down the street, the next I'm in the tournament dome, finding out I'd been killed. What's your trick?” Sora sighs.

“I was wondering how long I could keep this secret for. Technically, I'm not obligated to tell you, but I get the sense that you would hound me until the end of time for an answer. In the interest of peace and quiet, I will now share with you my most treasured skill.” He drains the shot glass, then gestures for Sinon to drink up as well, noticing that she hasn't been drinking. He waits for her to swallow before he speaks again.

“This skill is one I discovered by chance after I maxed out my Agility and Acrobatics skills. It is something that can only be used with pistols, ones that fire solid rounds, and require Agility and Acrobatics to be maxed out completely. The skill's name is Bullet Curve, and should explain the nature of the skill.” Sinon sits speechless for a moment.

“Bullet... Curve? You mean... you can actually _curve_ your shots? You can actually shoot around corners?” Sora nods.

“That's right, though it took a long time for me to master the skill. There's a certain knack needed when curving bullets, a certain flick of the wrist at just the right time. Get it perfect, and the bullet curves gracefully. The best thing about this skill, even better than being able to shoot around corners, is that there are no Prediction Lines for curved shots. The system can't make that prediction, so there's no heads up. Only your own instinct.” Sinon still looks awestruck.

“So that's how you killed me. You curved your shot around the corner.” Sora hesitates, looking awkward.

“I did, but if I'm honest, I didn't intend to kill you with that shot. I miscalculated, and accidentally blew out the back of your head. I was supposed to hit lower down, just above the first Thoracic vertebrae, hoping to paralyse you long enough so that I could finish you off in a more honourable fashion. I hate shooting people in the back, and I hate shooting unarmed people as well. Call me old fashioned, but I like to make eye contact with my opponent, so that they know who it was who turned their head into Swiss cheese.” Sinon smiles faintly.

“Somehow that answer doesn't surprise me. I sensed that you might be an honourable player. You had plenty of opportunities to take out the Shotgun Surgeon, but you let him live because you would have had to shoot him in the back to kill him. The others didn't listen to me when we were setting up the ambush. Not that it matters though, you ended up taking a different road than we expected. The plan was to gun you down as you retreated from the kicked can, heading towards the river. I argued that you would head _towards_ the can, even though that would mean walking into a trap.” Sora nods.

“You had the right idea. I was definitely leaning towards that route, but then I figured the other two roads might be blocked as well. Trying to anticipate the intelligence of multiple opponents isn't easy, so I did the only sensible thing: I baited the impatient. I knew that someone was bound to be getting an itchy trigger finger, what with me waiting at the intersection so long. I played on that impatience, and ran towards the one who jumped the gun. I'm guessing they're fairly new to sniping, because any _real_ sniper has the patience to stake out a spot for hours or even days. I saw the reflection of sunlight on a sniper scope, somewhere around the stadium.” Sinon tuts.

“So it was Silver Horn who blew it all. I should've guessed. You're right, he's an amateur sniper. I've monitored his performance, and I'm offended to be lumped together with him. He pays little attention to wind direction, cover, or light sources. He's overconfident, impatient, and about as far from level-headed as it's possible to be. He's not cut out for sniper work, but he was too chicken to be the bait. He was originally the one who was supposed to lure you towards the gas station, but he practically pissed his pants at the idea. Shotgun Surgeon took the job instead, and Silver Horn threw a spanner in the works anyway. Idiot. He only just made it into the final round. If it had been Sylph instead, that battle might have been more interesting.” Sora nods in agreement.

“You're right about that. I've seen Sylph playing a few times. He's good at leaving traps behind. If he had been in the final, then I'm sure that the Sentry Drone wouldn't have been wasted. He would have deployed it at the ambush most likely, and I would have been forced to rely heavily on Bullet Curve and the GI Unit to survive. I may have even dropped to half health. Of course, if the plan was to lure me towards the gas station, it still would have failed.” Sinon raises an eyebrow.

“It would? How come?” Sora smiles.

“Because I anticipated that that would be the most likely ambush point. Blow the pumps, and you've got the blast wave to knock me down, as well as smoke and fire to obscure my vision, and a high probability of debris hurting me. I knew that taking the road away from the river would send me to the gas station, so I left a couple traps of my own. Pump three was rigged with a Thermite Grenade, and I'd set up an air cannon in the alley next to the store. The plan _was_ to set up opposite the gas station, right?” Sinon is lost in amazement.

“You _knew_ that? You actually knew where we were supposed to snipe from?” Sora nods.

“I had a pretty good idea. Behind the station was out of the question. You'd have to relocate as soon as the pumps detonated. I'd recover and flee before you could take me down. Setting up in the street I would have come from was no good. The wind would blow the smoke and hide me. Setting up in the street I would have been heading towards would be good for hitting me once I was down, but scope users would be hindered by the glare from the flames. That just leaves opposite the pumps, which has none of these problems. I set up the air cannon so that it would blow the smoke towards you guys, and hide me at the same time. Breathing petrol smoke is nasty, but I can handle it for a few seconds while I drop out of visual contact and launch myself with the GI Unit. I would have used the cover of smoke not just to slip away, but to eliminate the ambushers with the Daybreaker. That's the real reason I took it out of my inventory again, not just to bait Silver Horn into jumping the gun.” Sinon shakes her head in disbelief.

“So no matter what went down, we still would have lost. Against you, there _is_ no other outcome. You won't even let us draw. We constantly underestimated you, and we will almost certainly continue to do that. You're far more perceptive than any of us gave you credit for. You could be the world's greatest psychologist. It's like you know us even better than we do.” Vince chuckles.

“Yeah, he gets that a lot. It's no wonder that so many refer to him as VR Nightmare. He's every game developers' worst nightmare. Sora here wasn't lying when he said he was the number one in more than seven hundred games. He really is. Developers are constantly coming up with new ways to beat him, and he always beats _them_ instead. Most updates these days are tailored specifically towards eliminating the VR Nightmare; the Sentry Drones for one. Removing the limit on the number of weapons you can carry is another. Zaskar _claims_ that they were just increasing the limit while keeping things realistic, but the truth is that they wanted to give players the ability to carry more weapons to use against Sora. Then there was the removal of PK protection in Safe Zones. Used to be that there was almost nowhere in this city where you could get PKed, but Zaskar took away that protection unannounced hoping that someone would gun down Sora in town. There were protests about this at first, but then players stopped complaining. These are a few, but they're not the only ones. You've heard the rumours about the 6.2 Update by now haven't you?” Sinon thinks for a moment.

“You mean... The Reaver? I've heard that the developers are planning to release a new sniper rifle that shoots through solid objects. Walls, doors, trees, armour. The works. Two kilometre range, no need to adjust for bullet drop or windage. Wait... they're bringing that out solely to give players a chance to kill Sora?” Sora nods.

“That's exactly right. What they don't realise is that it won't work. They haven't figured out how my Defence Field is configured. Energy-type weapons are next to useless against me because of it. Even if the Reaver has the same power as your Hecate II, it'll still take three hits to kill me. Players will get one hit at best, then I'll see the Prediction Lines. Unless I get attacked by multiple Reavers simultaneously, they won't take out my DF. Now that I've announced my retirement from the BoB, the odds of such an attack are quite low. Killing me outside of a tournament or a mission is pretty worthless, since I rarely carry my full inventory when playing in a casual capacity. I wouldn't be at my full potential, and only the most cowardly players would take advantage of that. As things stand, just hurting me is enough to make a player famous. You'll see that for yourself soon enough. You're the first player to hurt me for years. You've probably already got a fan club stalking you, worshipping you. Defeating me at less than my best isn't impressive. If someone were to kill me when I was giving it my all, then that person would gain the same level of fame as a Hollywood celebrity or world leader. The Reaver will still be released, but its price will have gone up as a result of my resignation. They were planning on selling it cheaply so that lots of players would have the chance to kill me. Some will still try, while others will prepare for what they believe will be my inevitable return. For those that try to kill me, I'll show them why the Reaver is a waste of money. I'll best the gun that shoots through walls, and show the world that it's not weapons that make a player good, but their skills.” Sinon smiles at the declaration.

“When the Reaver gets released, I'll be sure to bet a large sum of money that you'll survive it. I've seen the way you play, and you've given me a good insight into how you think, so I know you won't be beaten by some fancy new gadget. I'm sure I already know the answer to this next question, but I'll ask it anyway: Is your ALO game name Virtual Demon?” Sora smiles and nods.

“That's exactly what it is. You've been to the Swordsman's Memorial lately then.” Sinon nods.

“I was there last night, when I heard the news that someone cleared Floor 100 in Aincrad. Your name is the only one listed for defeating every boss from Floor 90 upwards. You should know that Kirito's dying to meet you. He's been searching for you every day since you cleared Floor 91. Now that I know you're a Spriggan, that narrows things down. I've never seen anyone defeat a boss solo before. I heard that when he was trapped in SAO, Kirito took down a boss on his own, but he said that his friends had already wounded it, so he doesn't count it as a solo kill. You on the other hand, are the real deal. What's even more amazing is that you took on the hardest bosses in the entire game single handedly, and still won.” Sora nods.

“That's true, but it wasn't easy. Floor 96 was a brutal one; the Shadow Dragon. That was a six hour battle of attrition I'd rather not go through again, but Floor 100 was the hardest without a doubt. We fought for seventy-one hours straight. I was absolutely exhausted at the end of it, but it was worth it. Defeating bosses results in huge rewards, and the less players you share with, the bigger your cut. I shared only with me, so my cut was 100%. I got new sword skills, new items, mountains of cash, the works. Getting the Last Hit bonus was rewarding as well. Because I defeated the Floor 100 boss, I now get unlimited flight time as well. I can fly anywhere in ALO, even in the No-Fly zones like Jötunheimr. There's no altitude limit either. I'm on an ALO hiatus for the time being though. Vince here gave me some pretty disturbing news this morning: there are more than fourteen thousand bounties on my head. Players are majorly pissed at me for going solo, and 'hogging' the rewards.” Sora snorts irately.

“It's not my fault they suck. If they were as good as I was, they could have joined me in a guild and we could have thrashed the bosses in a matter of minutes. Do they seriously believe that I play solo because I love it? _Sometimes_ that's the case, but I don't want to be alone forever. I just can't work with people who only hold me back, so I go it alone. That's why you won't catch me in Destiny's Calling Online. It's a team game, but I'd just end up being tied down, waiting for my team mates to level up to try and keep up with my skill. I would have loved to have had support in fighting The Seven Kings of Hell. That was who I fought on Floor 100. Seven Bosses, all against me! Seventy-one hours I fought for! Do people seriously believe I enjoyed that? I was exhausted by that ordeal! I _still_ haven't recovered from it either. That's the main reason I'm taking this hiatus. Not because of the bounties, but because I need to recover my strength. So I'll be taking a week off to get my head together, get my energy levels back up. Then, I'll return to ALO, and I'll christen my new Midgard Halberd with the blood of bounty hunters and jaded players alike. I'm not a fan of being labelled as a Player Killer, but I won't sit idly by as pathetic bastards blame me for their lack of skill and put me under undue stress as a result.” Vince slides another drink towards Sora.

“Calm down S. They aren't worth the hassle. There will always be people jealous of stronger players who act out because of their envy and incompetence. Rise above their pettiness, and remember that there are people out there who like you for who you are, not for your skills. It doesn't matter to _me_ that you're the VR Nightmare. You saved me from a Spriggan ambush, and since then I've gotten to know the real you. I've seen that you're a heap of fun when you're relaxed and in a good mood. You've got a very likeable personality, but most players only see your stats and achievements, without giving the _real_ you a chance. Forget those people. If I see anyone trying to claim your bounty, they'll have me to deal with, and I'm sure I won't be the only one.” Sinon shakes her head.

“You won't. Placing a bounty on someone just because they're skilful is stupid. So if I spot any bounty hunters as well, I'll take them out. Of course, it'd help if I knew what your avatar looks like, and where you hang out.” Sora hesitates.

“I've got a place on Floor 55 of Aincrad where I actually live, though I'm not there often. It's actually pretty close to that Dragon who poops Crystallite Ingots. I tend to hang out on Floor 22 though, since there's a good lake for fishing. Outside of Aincrad, there's Jötunheimr, and occasionally I visit a bar in Spriggan territory called 'The Dusty Sprite'. As for my appearance, it's pretty different to here. Only the eyes are the same. I'm a Spriggan skinhead with chrome blue armour, so I stand out a mile away. I typically wield a Zweihänder, but I've also got the Midgard Halberd now, which is black and gold in colour. That's strapped to my back at the moment. Sometimes I have a greater need for speed than strength. In those instances I wield either a silver Estoc or else a pair of neon green Wakizashi. I've got a white Longbow as well, but I rarely use it.” Sinon mulls over what she has been told.

“I've heard about a Spriggan wearing blue armour before, but I didn't think anything of it. If you like hanging out of Floor 22, then you're bound to meet Kirito and Asuna sooner or later. They've got a lakeside cabin there. They'll help you out if bounty hunters come for you as well. They know what it's like to be ostracised for their skills. I have to say though, that's an unusual set of weapons you've got there. I thought you might have been exclusively a Speed type player, like you are here. I guess I was wrong.” Sora shakes his head.

“Not really. If you look at my skill types across every VR game I've played, you'll find that I'm a Speed type in around 50% of them. 20% are Strength-Offence type, while 10% are Strength-Defence type. The leftover 20% are Multi-type, like ALO. Speed's good, but it tends to lack punching power. If I can find a weapon or item that sufficiently increases my Attack power, _then_ I'll specialise in Speed skills. Speed isn't always necessary though, so in those games I'll focus on being a juggernaut. I don't play the Strength-Defence role any more these days. It just isn't worthwhile. If I was a team player, then it'd be useful, but as a soloist it's pretty useless. As for the weapons themselves, I just use what I like the feel of. The Zweihänder and Estoc are good for one-on-one battles, while the Halberd and Wakizashi are good for mob sweeping. If I'm meeting friends, I'll carry the Estoc or Wakizashi. All other times it's the Zweihänder, and now the Midgard Halberd. Flying makes a difference as well. When I'm flying, I'll carry the Wakizashi or the Longbow. Big weapons are too heavy for mid-air combat, and Estocs are more effective on solid ground.” Sinon nods.

“I see. That makes a lot of sense. As I've come to expect from you now that I understand you better. Your reasons for possessing the weapons you use are so much more appropriate than most players these days. Even me. I-” Sinon is cut off as the doors to the bar are kicked from their hinges. A single bullet whistles past Sora's face to smash through the rifle Vince was raising. Sora's hands hover above his guns, but Prediction Lines paint him red.

“You'd be wise not to try pulling out a pistol, _Prince_ , unless you want to be riddled with bullet holes. You've got some explaining to do, _Hacker_ , and penalties to pay.” Sora glares angrily at the crowd of gunmen that file into the bar. Many he recognises from the latest BoB, and many more he recognises from previous tournaments. Close to a hundred players cram into the bar, taking up positions all around Vince, Sora and Sinon. Vince keeps his hands raised, and Sinon looks nervous. Only Sora seems completely calm, if a little angry.

“You call me a hacker and demand penalties be incurred? What gives you that right, Soul Calibre? What evidence do you have to support your false accusation?” A tall man steps forwards. Two metres in height, with black hair and black eyes. His outfit is pitch black, his guns are pitch black, and even his jewellery; a skull and crossbones pendant and an analogue wristwatch; are pitch black. He stares down at Sora, his muscular form emphasizing his dominating presence.

“Teleportation, Telekinesis, Bullet Deflection and Bullet Curving. Illegal skills acquired by re-writing the game's programming. That GGO's admins have overlooked this suggests that they are in league with you, or that you have them by the balls. Since the admins won't punish you, _we_ will. You are to turn in all weapons, items and money. Immediately.” Sora meets Soul Calibre's gaze.

“Retard. Everything I own can be legally purchased or legally crafted. _That_ is why the admins have done nothing about me, because there's nothing _to do_ about me. Playing by the rules isn't something that can be punished.” Soul Calibre thrusts a shotgun in Sora's face; a Benelli M4.

“Enough lies you little shit! This is your last chance: comply or face the consequences!” Sora's voice becomes cold and ruthless.

“Consequences? You don't realise just how retarded you really are. You think this poxy firing squad will defeat me? You think that little pop gun is going to hurt me? I've tried being patient with fuckers like you, but my patience has run out. Sorry about this Vince, but I need to educate the retards. You and Sinon might want to sit tight and wait for this storm to pass. Don't worry, I'll pay for the damages, with interest.” Sinon sees Vince grip a rail on the bar, and she does likewise. Soul Calibre laughs maliciously.

“Oh, you'll _educate_ us will you? You're outnumbered, outgunned, and completely surrounded. You are completely at my mercy. What the fuck can you do?” He fails to see Sora reaching towards his spine.

“This.” Soul Calibre is suddenly wrenched sideways by an immense force. As he flies, he sees every gunner being dragged off their feet as well, and they all begin swirling in a vortex. Furniture is uprooted, windows shatter, masonry crumbles, and the world is lost in a deafening roar. The bar itself sits in the centre of the vortex. Vince and Sinon cling on to the rail for dear life, while Sora stands calmly, his hands raised up like Moses parting the Red Sea. Screams and cries ring out as gunners are slammed into furniture and each other, and then Soul Calibre sees one of them being split in half, vertically. All around him, people start to die, being dismembered, decapitated or diced. Soon, only Soul Calibre remains. The immense force suddenly disappears, and he drops at Sora's feet. He rolls over, raising the shotgun at Sora, who already holds a pair of IMI Desert Eagles loaded and ready to fire. Soul Calibre sees the left-hand gun firing, but he doesn't hear it, his ears still ringing after the cacophonous destruction earlier. Soul Calibre's shotgun is split apart by a single bullet. After a few seconds of silence, sound begins to return to Soul Calibre's world. A gunshot rings out, and he clutches his stomach as pain explodes through his body. A foot stamps down on his shoulder, pinning him to the ground. He looks up, into the blazing eyes of Sora, his anger tangible.

“I used to respect you, Soul Calibre. That respect has now been lost. You were an honourable player once. I learned the art of stealth by studying you, but this is how you turn out? You're a disgrace. You dishonour this game, just as you dishonour yourself. From this day forth, consider us mortal enemies. I will not tolerate scum such as you.” He fires six shots, all into Soul Calibre's head. When the last bullet casing finishes bouncing, and fades from existence, the only sound that remains is that of the wind. Sora feels a hand on his shoulder and looks over, straight into Sinon's eyes. The anger burns away rapidly, a strange calmness replacing it. Slow clapping rings out, drawing everyone's attention to the solitary figure in the doorway, obscured by shadows.

“Impressive. You used your GI Unit to create a core-less Black Hole didn't you? I'd expect nothing less from the VR Nightmare.” Sora regards the man unemotionally.

“There's a meeting?” The man nods

“That's why I'm here. Come on, it's about to start.” Sora steps forwards, glass crunching underfoot. He stops a moment, to navigate his menus. A sum of forty million Credits is sent to Vince, who hesitates at the sight of it. Sora turns to face Sinon, looking strangely saddened.

“Sinon... Thank you.” Without another word or a second glance, Sora leaves the remains of the Buckshot Bar in the company of the mysterious figure.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thirty people sit at desks in the ruined classroom of a mostly demolished school. A podium stands at the front of the class, and a masked man stands at that podium.

“You all know why you're here. You all know why we do what we do. You all have your motives. Someone you lost, someone who was stolen from you, someone who was taken before their time and robbed of life. Well, that's going to end. You've all worked hard these past few years, and that hard work is going to pay off. This is the target.” An image is projected onto the wall; a promotional poster for a new game. A hand near the back rises up, preceding a curious voice.

“Destiny's Calling Online? I thought we were targeting ALO. Why has the plan changed?” The masked man answers flatly.

“ALO is a sinking ship, and people are diving overboard, swimming towards the paradise that is Destiny's Calling Online. ALO's profit margin has been shrinking rapidly since DCO was revealed, and now there's talks of it closing down. If we attack ALO, that'll just be the final coffin nail, nothing more. We won't achieve anything. DCO's forecast launch attendance is quarter of a million. That's the audience we want. That's the audience we _need_. So that's our target. In fourteen days, we'll show the world that Reality Bytes is serious. You know what needs to be done, so let's get it done.”

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An azure-haired Elf moves amongst barren trees, bow drawn, stalking a giant rat. She watches as it clambers calmly through the gnarled roots, oblivious to the imminent danger. The rat crawls into a clearing, and freezes on the spot, whiskers twitching rapidly. There is no sound, no wind, nothing. No warning whatsoever of the attack. The rat is helpless as jaws close around it, crushing the life out of it. The Elf takes careful aim at her target; a wispy white wolf, and fires a single arrow. The arrow becomes enveloped in white light, and pierces the throat of the wolf. It howls noiselessly, before collapsing onto the ground. It vanishes from existence. A message appears before the Elf, who studies it carefully.

“200 XP, 50 Gold coins, and a Zephyr feather. Nice one. Nice shot as well I might add.” The Elf looks over her shoulder at the silvery bird-like man who stands a little too close for comfort. _Beast-Person. Specifically a Harpy: a Bird Man. Rogue Class, Infiltrator Sub-class. Game name: Skyward Hunter._ The Elf frowns at her companion.

“If you insist upon breathing down my neck, I'm going to pluck you, rip out your giblets, and roast you on a spit. It's creepy. Marek has already warned you about being a pervert, and Anna-maria has already put in an official complaint about you after you tried to grope her.” Skyward Hunter folds his arms.

“Y'all are starting a witch hunt against me and that ain't fun. Anyway, I'm here because Marek sent me. He wants to get started on the quests. We're meeting in the Dragon's Head Tavern.” The Elf slings her bow across her back.

“Fine. I'm done here anyway.” The pair walk through the forest in silence, Skyward Hunter seemingly restless. It takes five minutes to leave, and when they emerge they see a somewhat dismal looking town overrun by people of all races and classes. Skyward Hunter turns to the Elf.

“Oh hey, I just remembered: I saw the gnarliest looking Hellborne earlier. Crimson skin with silver Runes, one brown eye, one green eye, wearing pitch black robes. They had some kind of sword on them, a Rapier I think. He looks like a Wizard, but I guess he chose to go with a Grimoire or something instead of a staff. He doesn't seem to be in a party. Not yet anyway. I guess maybe they're waiting for their friends to log in. Well, I hope for his sake they log on soon. I heard the server count just exceeded 2.5 million. There's more players here for the launch than anyone anticipated. We've got ten times the forecast attendance, and still more are joining. Destiny's Calling Online is blowing up!” The Elf says nothing, she just carries on walking. A sudden commotion draws her attention; the sounds of swords clashing ringing through the air. She turns to the source of the noise, and sees an awe-inspiring sight: A Demonic looking man with crimson skin and wearing black robes, duelling against five Lizardmen single-handedly, using an Estoc. The Lizardmen are being pushed back by the Hellborne, who moves with the grace of nobility and fights with the ferocity of a legendary warrior. He is outnumbered, but by no means outclassed. Three of the Lizardmen fall to his blade; one being stabbed through the heart, the others being struck by bolts of lightning that arc out from the first victim. The two survivors turn and flee, running towards Skyward Hunter and the Elf. The Hellborne appears between the two pairs, materialising from thin air, earning a gasp from the Elf. _No way! No-one can teleport now surely! That's supposed to be a Level 13 skill!_ One of the Lizardmen snaps its jaws at the Hellborne, spewing a cloud of thick green smoke. The Demon leaps skywards with phenomenal speed, launching ten metres straight up, before rocketing back down at an accelerated pace, thrusting his sword through the Lizardman's skull. The other Lizardman lunges forwards, taking advantage of the fact that the Hellborne is unarmed. Except he isn't. From within his robes, the Demonic man draws out a pair of serrated daggers, and blocks the Scimitar swung at his head. He takes advantage of the Lizardman's surprise and attacks furiously, slashing and stabbing his opponent with vicious speed and lethal precision. The Lizardman can do little more than die, completely outclassed by a vastly superior adversary. The Hellborne retrieves his Estoc, spins it around his hand a few times, before sheathing it. He turns to face the Elf and Skyward Hunter.

“Evening. You two didn't get poisoned did you? I have antidotes if necessary.” Both of them shake their heads. The Elf is silent, pensive. _That voice sounds familiar. I'm sure I've heard it before, and recently_. Skyward Hunter speaks up.

“Nah, we're good dude. That was some epic killing skills. You want to join our party? We could use a guy like you.” The Hellborne shakes his head.

“Another time perhaps, but I'll be logging out soon. I just wanted to be here for the launch.” Skyward Hunter nods.

“Right right. Maybe next time then. Come on Sinocchi, let's go.” The Elf glares at Skyward Hunter, but she is interrupted by the Hellborne.

“Sinocchi? Not... not _Sinon_ by any chance?” The Elf turns to face the Hellborne again. Recognition flashes across her face as she remembers the voice.

“Sora... is that you?” Sora looks mortified.

“You're here? Oh God no!” Before Sinon can say anything, the sky turns black. A golden platform appears, and thirty figures stand atop it, too far away to be seen. A booming voice echoes across the land.

“Attention gamers of Destiny's Calling Online. My name is Tatsuya Kurokami. I am the leader of Reality Bytes, and you, all 2.8 million of you; are now our hostages.”


	2. History Repeats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reality Bytes: a group that vehemently opposes the Virtual World, has seized control of Destiny's Calling Online, trapping 2.8 million people within. They have proven that death within the game means death in the real world. However, their plan has gone awry. Now it is up to Sinon and Sora to free the trapped players, with the help of a rescue team comprising of Kirito, Asuna, Suguha, Klein, Agil, and Cassandra: a member of the studio that developed the game. The challenges that lay ahead are daunting, but if they can set aside their doubts and suspicions, they will surely succeed. Won't they?

**28th February 2030 - 00:00 JST**

A group of thirty robed figures sit under the shade of a grand oak tree, their attention focused on the thirty-first figure, who stands atop a boulder.

“Our preparations are now almost complete. At midnight tomorrow, three hours after Destiny's Calling Online launches, we will seize control of the servers, the game engines, everything. We'll remove the Logout option from the player menus and force a teleport to the starting town; Kraler. That's when we'll announce our intentions, our goals, our mission. There may be a need to demonstrate that we aren't lying. Arm yourselves prior to our announcement. The Pain Limiters will be tampered with, along with all other safety systems. Make no mistake, people _will_ die. I know that we want to limit the deaths, but some sacrifices will _have_ to be made in order for us to rid the world of its cancer. We are doing the right thing. We all know it, so do not let these tragic losses deter you from saving countless more lives.” The thirty listeners silently nod their heads, and the speaker continues.

“Now, for this plan to go perfectly, we will have a need for one of our number to remain sealed within the game at all times, and protect the Admin Interfaces. We cannot have someone try to interfere with us from within the game. Do I have a volunteer?” A hand raises up.

“I will do it.” The listeners and the speaker all turn to face the volunteer. The speaker's voice is filled with surprise.

“Are you sure about this Valkyrie? You know what this means don't you? You will be trapped inside DCO along with everyone else. You will be vulnerable to dying, just as the others will be. Are you still certain that you wish to be the one working inside?” The volunteer nods.

“I am. This world has become my home, I know it better than anyone else here. I have the skills necessary to survive for the duration of the operation. I won't be killed easily. I'll guard the Terminals, monitor the situation as it unfolds, and send updates at hourly intervals, unless something urgent comes up. I've already selected armour and weapons from a number of games that I have sampled. I'll be able to transfer them over, along with my stats. Do not worry about me Prometheus. If anyone can survive in Virtual Reality, it's me.” The speaker nods.

“Very well, I will leave it in your capable hands. A full map of the Mesikari Continent will be sent to you within the next two hours. Every Admin Interface is marked on the map, along with the locations of secret resources that may be of interest to you should players realise who you are. Be sure to memorise that map before the game launches, just to be on the safe side. We'll be depending on you to provide us with a calm and steady ride. The less... turbulence there is, the better.” Valkyrie seems to analyse everything being requested of him.

“Protect the terminals, prevent internal resistance, monitor and update situation, smooth ride, minimal casualties. A difficult task, but possible. Worst case scenario: 18% fatality rate. Best case scenario: 5% fatality rate. Death, sadly, is inevitable. Sacrifices will have to be made in order to save the world. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. A true statement. It will take creativity, but that's why Reality Bytes approached me. My creativity caught your attention, along with my resolve, and my pain. I will deliver everything you require.” 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 1st 2030 – 23:59 JST**

Sora stares at Sinon in horror.

“You're here? Oh God no!” Sinon flinches at the response. _Sora is here? He said he wouldn't play DCO though. This is strange, and why does he seem so frightened to see me here? Is it really that big a deal?_ She opens her mouth to respond, when flashes of blue light catch her eye. She turns to see numerous players teleporting into town, each player looking confused as they materialise. _They seem confused... as if they teleported involuntarily. Could this be part of the launch ceremony? Something feels off though._ Sinon then looks up at the sky, just in time to see the stars and the moon disappear, leaving an unnatural pitch black void. A golden platform appears, hovering hundreds of metres above the ground. Atop the platform stand thirty figures, barely visible at this distance. A booming voice echoes across the town of Kraler, and the sea of players gathered within.

“Attention; gamers of Destiny's Calling Online. My name is Tatsuya Kurokami. I am the leader and representative of Reality Bytes. As of this instant; midnight on March 2nd 2030: all 2.8 million of you are being held hostage. As you may have seen already, the Logout option has been removed from your menu. The Safety Systems have all been shut off. Pain will not be inhibited, and Accidental Logouts are impossible. Death however, is not impossible. The neural relays in your Full Dive gear have been forced to their maximum setting. If you die in here, a massive amount of sensory information, specifically pain will be forced into your brain, and kill you in real life. There will be no re-spawn, no loading screen, only eternal oblivion. You may be wondering what it is that we want. The answer is simple. We want the cancer that is Virtual Reality to be shut down. Permanently. Until this becomes a reality, you will all be held here.” Gasps and frightened whispers was over the crowd, fear and disbelief rampant. Sinon looks about herself, and sees that the Hellborne is no longer present.

“Sora?” An angry voice shouts out from the crowd, a player challenging Tatsuya.

“Why should we listen to you? Why should anyone listen to you? What proof do you even have that people can die in the real world if they die here?” An arrow falls from the sky and pierces the heart of a man some fifty metres away. He screams out in pain, before his avatar vanishes, disintegrating into nothingness. The booming voice returns.

“That right there is the penalty for doubting our power. We _can_ kill you in the real world by killing you in this one. Do not misunderstand us; we do not wish to commit a massacre, but we need our message to be taken seriously. For that to happen, lives need to be sacrificed. We ask for your understanding in this, and for your patience. Once we have achieved our goal, you will all be released. You have our word. Until then, this is goodbye.” The crowd watches the golden platform, and watches it disappear into thin air. Silence fills the air, and then a lone scream sets off pandemonium.

“We're all gonna die!”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 2nd 2030 – 00:09 JST**

Thirty robed figures stare about themselves in confusion, thrown by something completely unexpected. One of them cries out in a panicked voice.

“What's going on? Where are we? How did we get here?” One of the figures lowers their hood, revealing black hair and pale grey eyes set in a stern expression.

“This is the rooftop of the Tower of the Gods. We're still in DCO, but how?” A synthesized voice silences the robed figures.

“That would be my doing. You made one fatal mistake today Tatsuya Kurokami: You declared war upon my home. I live inside Virtual Reality. I will not allow you to shut it down. Just as you have taken away the DCO gamers' Logout option, so too have I taken away yours. As they are capable of dying in reality by dying here, so too are you. Reality Bytes is now trapped in this world. You are my prisoners. You are not hostages. I do not want ransom. I do not want anything, but to see you die. You are murderers, no matter how you glorify yourselves. The more who die in this world, the stronger my resolve to kill you all personally becomes. You have no way out, no bargaining chip, and no idea who you are up against. Sit tight, Tatsuya-kun. I'm coming for you. All of you. I alone will best the game that cannot be completed solo, and I will kill each and every last one of you. When Reality Bytes is no more, I will free the hostages that you have taken in your crusade of bullshit. You have _my_ word on that. You'll find that the word of a guardian has more value than the word of a murderer. I'll be seeing you soon. Until then, enjoy the show.” The silence that descends over the Tower of the Gods is palpable. It smothers the people stranded upon the rooftop. Tatsuya snaps into action, shaking off his reverie.

“Don't let that bastard's words paralyse you! This is just some naïve fool playing God. Look around you. We're one short. Valkyrie is out there somewhere. Contact him! He may know what's going on. Evidently one of the gamer's is a hacker, and they've managed to find an Admin Interface. Valkyrie's the only one who can help us at the moment.” Several robed figured rush towards the one structure on the rooftop: a spire of purple crystal. Another figure steps to Tatsuya's side, and speaks in a low voice.

“And what if this _is_ Valkyrie? What if _he's_ the one who trapped us here?” Tatsuya turns on his companion.

“Valkyrie turning traitor? To what end? He has just as much cause to destroy the Virtual World as any one of us. Have you forgotten his past? He lived alone with his older sister, until she was killed within Sword Art Online. He had already lost his parents, and his brother. Losing her as well nearly destroyed him. Betraying us would be like betraying his sister. He would never do that. No, this is someone else. Someone outside of Reality Bytes. When we find them, we're going to show them just how much power we wield.” One of the figures runs over from the spire.

“Prometheus! It's no good! The Admin Interface here has been cut off from the rest of the network. We can't reach Valkyrie.” Tatsuya nods.

“Then we'll just have to trust him, and hope that he restores order as soon as possible. Still, I don't like placing all my eggs in one basket. Start working on a way to reconnect our Terminal to the network. We need to figure out what's going on.” The robed figure nods.

“Yes sir.” Tatsuya turns to his companion again.

“In the meantime, we need to fortify our position. This hacker said that they were coming here, to kill us. Let's not make it easy on them. We need cover, and we need defences.” The companion lowers their hood, revealing long silver hair and hazel eyes, her face youthful and perplexed.

“Understood. There's one thing I don't understand. This hacker said that they would release the hostages after killing us. Why not before? Why is he keeping them here?” Tatsuya smiles malevolently.

“Because he _can't_ release them. As part of the plan, the Logout block remains in affect as long as at least one of us remains in the game. That's part of the reason we needed Valkyrie to stay here; so that the Logout option wouldn't be restored. The only way to free the hostages is to remove Reality Bytes from the game. They can't kick us either, the algorithm prevents that. If they were outside the game, they might be able to undo the algorithm, eventually, but they're not. That only leaves them with one option then. Even so, I believe they may have ignored all other possibilities anyway. This hacker declared an intent to kill us for our 'war on Virtual Reality'. Evidently they're motivated by some kind of personal angle. We might be able to use this to our advantage.” The young woman raises an eyebrow.

“You mean... Pleiades?” Tatsuya nods.

“That's right. By now, she'll have figured out that something has gone wrong, and she'll seek a method for rectifying it on her end. The hacker can kill people in the Virtual World, but _she_ isn't in the Virtual World. She's in the real one. She'll have us out of here in no time, and our mysterious hacker will be in a body bag. It's inevitable.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 2nd 2030 – 00:09 JST**

A terrifying silence has settled upon the teams of operators who sit before banks of computers, looking at their screens in horror. A young blonde woman in her early twenties speaks in a horrified voice.

“They're all trapped? 2.8 million players, trapped within our game? Dear God! This is going to be like SAO all over again! This is horrible!” A man in his late thirties stands. His black hair is streaked with grey, and his grey eyes burn with determination.

“No! I won't let that happen. Contact the Ministry of Internal Affairs and brief them on the situation. We need to initiate an immediate Player Relocation Operation. Pull up the addresses of every player. We'll need to relocate them to hospitals as soon as possible. Alert the relevant hospitals to have coroners on standby. One player has already been executed. More deaths are likely to follow. If the players continue to panic like this, people are going to get killed in the confusion. Someone get to work on bypassing the hackers. We need to try and safeguard the players as best we can. We will not let this turn into another Sword Art Online, not after all the work we put into this game. We can't-” One of the programmers, a freckled and bespectacled young man of around eighteen, interrupts.

“Sir! We've just received a message. It's origin is... from within the game?” The older man runs over to the programmer.

“From _within_ the game? Are you sure, Hiro? The only way to send messages from within is... is from one of the Admin Interface Terminals. What does the message say.” Hiro opens up the message, and the older reads the message aloud.

“Attention administrators of QZR Studios. By now you've probably learned about the crisis that is unfolding within DCO. If you haven't done so already; initiate your Emergency Player Relocation Protocols. There are too many lives at stake to delay. I'll keep this brief since time is of the essence. Do not attempt to interfere with Reality Bytes. They're too dangerous. Innocent people will die if you get too involved. Focus on protecting the players from outside the game. I will protect them from within, to the best of my ability. I've managed to trap Reality Bytes atop the Tower of the Gods, and disconnected their AIT from the rest of the network, but it won't be separated indefinitely. None of us can log out, and all of us are susceptible to death. I will do what I can to restore order here before I march upon the Tower of the Gods. However, I cannot do this alone. I ask that you assemble a team of VRMMO veterans. I will buy a window of time for these players to enter the game. I know I ask a lot, but far more is at stake. Without assistance, all 2.8 million players will die. Please move as quickly as possible. I estimate that Reality Bytes will reconnect their AIT in ten hours time. After that time, no-one will be able to dive in, and everyone will die. I will check back in five hours and monitor the situation continuously. Please assemble the team within that time. History doesn't have to repeat itself. We can still avoid this becoming another SAO, but only if you act fast and do as I have instructed.” Instead of a name, the message is signed with an image of a nebula; the Helix Nebula. The man stands straight as he comes to a decision.

“Alright. This is the best chance we have. I don't like it, but I don't see any other choice. We're going to have to trust the sender of this message. Pull up a shortlist of the best gamers there are. GGO champions, ALO masters, even SAO survivors. We need the best of the best, and we need them here within five hours.” Across the room, a young woman with long black hair and hazel eyes speaks up.

“Director, I have a lead on a group of suitable candidates for the team, all of whom are SAO survivors. Kirito, Asuna and Klein are all currently at a café run by another SAO survivor; Agil. All four also have accounts in Alfheim Online, and are high ranked players.” The Director comes over to the young woman, and looks at the information on her screen.

“The Dicey Café huh? Alright, I'll head there once the PRO is underway. Good work Cassandra.” The woman shrugs.

“I just happened to know about it. I found that there's another veteran amongst the hostages. Player name Sinon. She's a highly skilled GGO player, and won the 3rd Bullet of Bullets tournament with Kirito, during that Death Gun incident. She holds an ALO account as well, often working alongside Kirito and the others. If she can find our mystery informant and join the Rescue Team, then so much the better.” The Director nods.

“You're right about that. It's just a shame that the VR Nightmare vowed never to play DCO. Right now, we could use his help. It's almost as if we're being punished for making DCO impossible for solo players to complete. If we had the VR Nightmare on our side, this crisis would be resolved in no time at all.” Cassandra speaks reassuringly.

“You couldn't see this coming, Director Shiraishi. None of us could. Reality Bytes has never taken such an extreme action before. They've only ever protested and lobbied. To suddenly take nearly three million hostages and start killing, no one could have predicted this. Don't start saying 'should've, would've, could've' just yet. We'll get the SAO survivors together, send them in, and save the hostages. I'll go in with them. We'll need someone to monitor this mysterious ally and determine whether or not they really _are_ an ally. I'm the best ALO player on staff, and the only reason I never won the BoB was because of VR Nightmare. If I hadn't been facing him each time, _I_ would have won each and every tournament. I'm a VRMMO veteran, so don't worry about me. Besides, I'll be in good company.” Shiraishi nods.

“Yes, you might be right about that. Alright then, I guess it's settled. I'll head for The Dicey Café and recruit the SAO survivors. Persuading them won't be easy however. They spent two years trapped inside a game that could kill them, and now I'm going to ask them to go back into that kind of world. It has to be done though. We don't have a choice. We can't sit idly by and let millions die because of some VR hating terrorists. I'll keep my cellphone on, so let me know of any developments, good or bad.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 2nd 2030 – 00:37 JST**

Fires burn in the town of Kraler, smoke billowing into the night sky. Players run back and forth or else fight amongst each other. The whole town is an ocean of noise; insults being shouted, screams of fear, cries of pain. Sora stands in horror at the scene. _Is this Hell? Have I gone to Hell? This is the nightmare situation; to be trapped inside a game that can kill you a billion different ways. I understand the fear, but panic doesn't solve anything. I have to restore order, by any means necessary._ To his left stands a church, its spire being the highest point in the town. Sora sprints towards the church and leaps at the wall, launching himself into the air. He grabs onto the rough walls and hurtles upwards like a monkey. Within seconds, he stands atop the spire. He raises both hands above his head.

“Cantis Urillia Neron Amarya, Dralldar Wyrian Golyfua Helsenhāga!” A ball of blinding light erupts from his hands with a scream, rocketing skywards before exploding like a phenomenal scarlet firework, the blast reverberating through the crowd. The raging fires extinguish instantaneously under a blast of cold wind, and all smoke vanishes as well. All of the players turn towards the church, staring up at the spire. When Sora speaks, his voice is amplified, echoing across the town.

“ENOUGH! If you let yourselves be controlled by fear, then Reality Bytes has already won! Yes, we _are_ trapped here. Yes, we _can_ die. So what? We can die at _any_ time in the _real_ world anyway. What difference does it make? Are you afraid to go to the supermarket? Does the thought of visiting your friends fill you with fear? Life is full of risks. The _only_ difference here is that which you _perceive_. It is your _imagination_ that makes _this_ world more dangerous than the real one. Well, I tell you to set aside that fear. If you value your lives, if you want to leave this place, set aside your fears and work _together_. This does _not_ have to turn out like Sword Art Online. Yes, the situations _are_ similar, but that is a _superficial_ detail. There were _survivors_ of SAO, and there _will_ be survivors of _this_ world as well, but _only_ if you control your fear instead of letting _it_ control _you_. The _biggest_ killers of SAO were _not_ Player Killers, they were _fear and arrogance_. Fear will _only_ drive you to kill yourself or your allies, while arrogance will lead to the deaths of yourself _and_ those around you. Do _not_ succumb to either one. Remain calm, maintain a _rational_ line of thinking, and you _will_ make it out of here alive. I will do _everything_ in my power to make that a _reality_ , but I am one man. I am _not_ God. I cannot solve _every_ problem. Not without your _cooperation_. I'm _not_ asking you to march to your deaths. I am not asking you to do _anything_ , except to avoid panicking and to _support_ your fellow gamers. _Morale_ is the most important thing to us right now, so I'm _asking_ that you do everything in your power to elevate _morale_ as much as possible. There is one more thing: I ask that the leaders of every guild currently established come and meet with me in Victory Plaza in ten minutes, so we can formulate strategies for earning our freedom. That is all for now.” Sora looks about the sea of people, all of whom stare at him silently, in a state of awe apparently. He climbs down the spire, then jumps from the roof, landing lightly to surprised gasps and scattered applause. He walks away, towards a brightly lit Plaza. Several individuals run after him. Amongst them is Sinon, who reaches his side first.

“That was an impressive speech, and very true, but there's more you're not telling us, isn't there?” Sora nods.

“That's right, but I'd rather keep that information between the leaders. I don't know how much you trust me, but the more you do, the better. There's an 89% chance I'll die tonight if the trust you have in me is insufficient. To put it bluntly: my life is in your hands right now.” Sinon hesitates, surprised by the statement. _His life is in my hands? What could he announce that would put his life at risk? Would it be better if he didn't share it then? I suppose not. If it is later revealed that he was withholding information, it could destroy everything he just did, and chaos would resume. I won't say that I trust him entirely, but I have no reason to distrust him either. To my knowledge, he has never been dishonest. Nor was he reluctant to answer my questions after the last BoB. I only hope that I trust him enough to keep him from being killed. He might be our best hope of escape_. The pair reach Victory Plaza with several dozen people in tow. Sora climbs atop the memorial plinth and turns to face the guild leaders. More still enter, so Sora waits. When no more enter the plaza, he speaks calmly, his voice no longer being amplified.

“Thank you for coming. I'll keep this brief since we don't know how long this calmness will last. _We_ are not the only ones trapped in this game. Reality Bytes are stuck here as well, thanks to... because _I_ trapped them here. Before you say it; yes, I'm a hacker, but not on the same level as those people. I did the best I could, but to be honest my best is inadequate. I couldn't get anyone out of here. They have an algorithm in place to prevent that, and I don't have the resources to counter it. I've trapped Reality Bytes atop the Tower of the Gods and cut off their Admin Interface Terminal from the rest of the network. Their logout option is missing, just as ours is. That's about all I could manage. That doesn't mean much however. It won't take long for them to re-establish a link to the AIT network, and from there they'll try to undo everything I changed. Once they do, they'll be able to log out. For now though, they're stuck, and that gives us an opportunity. The algorithm I mentioned earlier is also what's keeping us here. If I understand correctly, then as long as someone from Reality Bytes remains in the game, the logout option will remain missing from our menu. I tried to kick them from the game, but this algorithm blocked me. That leaves just one option. We track them down, and we defeat them. I know. I know what I'm asking, but there are nearly three million people here. We have to save them, even if that means taking lives. Reality Bytes have already shown that they won't hesitate to kill. You all saw it. They killed someone just to demonstrate that death was possible. That is the kind of people we're up against. If we don't stop them, _none_ of us will leave here alive. Don't misunderstand me. I'm not telling you to march upon these _terrorists_. I'm not even _asking_ you to. _I_ will do this alone if I must, but what I _will_ ask is that you do what you can for the people trapped here. If you choose to fight, then I won't stop you. I'll simply advise that you do not allow this situation to impair your judgement. Progress as far as you can. When the going gets too tough to safely push on, bunker down. Set up a safe zone so that other parties can rest up and continue on. Marching from here to the Tower of Gods in one go is too much. We'll need way-stations. When you're at your limit, set up a way-station. A safe place to sleep and regain energy is just as important as a guild fighting the game. We need both, we cannot do with just one.” The leaders all look at Sora with shock, scepticism, and anger. The shouting all comes at once.

“Who the Hell are you to tell us what to do?”

“What do you know about anything? You're just a kid!”

“Why the Hell should we trust you? You're just a hacker!”

“How do we know that you're not one of them huh? How do we know that anything you've said is true?”

“Even if you're _not_ with Reality Bytes, how do you expect to take them on alone?” Sinon steps up to the plinth, and faces the group.

“Stop! All of this shouting and suspicion isn't helping! If we ignore what he says and he's lying, we all die. If he's telling the truth, then we would _still_ all die. _However_ , if we do as he says and it turns out he's our enemy, we can deal with him then. If he's telling the truth, then we can escape from the game. It's in our best interest to go along with his suggestions, for now at least.” One man steps forwards. He has short white hair and piercing blue eyes. Faint wrinkles add age to his face, but his muscular build suggests he is still well in his prime.

“I can see the logic in your assertion, however, I still don't trust him. Is there any evidence you can provide to show that he is an ally?” Sinon hesitates.

“If you seek physical evidence, I cannot provide that, but I know him. Not well, but well enough to know when he's lying. He isn't. He's being honest with us right now. He gained my respect after we fought against each other in the latest Bullet of Bullets tournament, and he gained a level of trust when he protected me and one other from a group of Player Killers. Sora might be our best chance to get out of here alive.” The man raises an eyebrow.

“Oh? How so?” Sinon glances at Sora, who nods. She turns back to the leaders.

“Because he's the VR Nightmare.” All of the leaders gasp, stunned by the revelation. Whispers fill the air as the group exchanges shocked remarks. The man hesitates.

“The VR Nightmare? For real? I thought he vowed never to play this game.” Sora steps forwards, then indicates just above his own head.

“You can see it can't you? My player name should be just below my health and magic bars, right next to my level. Virtual Demon. Level 8. You can also see my Class icon, for Swordmage.” The man follows Sora's indication, and sees all the details for himself.

“You're really _him_? The Virtual Demon? The player who cleared Floors 90-100 of Aincrad? I'm sorry, it's just a little hard for me to believe. You're already a Level 8 as well. I shouldn't be surprised really, considering your reputation.” Sora nods.

“It's understandable. This game only launched at 21:00 JST. I spent two hours power levelling after I'd gotten to grips with this world. You're right as well, I hadn't planned on playing this game, but the idea of completing a game impossible for solo players was too tempting to pass up. The cloak that I wear is something I picked up during my power levelling. I had to fight against six Drow simultaneously in order to get it. In case you haven't already learned this, Drow are Dark Elves who typically wield poisoned weapons. Being poisoned was rough even with the safeties _on_. Now that they've been deactivated, being poisoned will be a nightmare. The longer we're stuck here, the more likely it is that people will suffer that fate. Once I have finished making preparations, I will depart for the Tower of the Gods, and I'll challenge Reality Bytes. What you all do is your decision, but my suggestions remain.” The man thinks for a moment.

“For the time being, most of us will stay in town and maintain morale. I have no doubt that several guilds will also make for Reality Bytes, or at least attempt to. Several more will likely set out purely with the intention of setting up safe zones. Tell me, how well do you know this world? I don't mean to imply that you have extensive knowledge, but you seem to know more than the rest of us.” Sora pulls out his map, and holds it out for everyone to see. He starts pointing out what he knows.

“This world is called Mesikari. Up here near the top left corner is Kraler. North of that is the Ancient Battlefield and the Tower of Kraler. Beyond _that_ is the Cave of Origins. East of the Tower of Kraler is the Evergreen Death, then the Mountains of Despair, then the Gorge of Helios, and beyond that is the Tower of the Gods. That's the most direct route, but it's suicide. You need to be at least Level 22 to survive the Evergreen Death, at least Level 65 to survive the Mountains of Despair, and at least Level 90 to take on the Gorge of Helios. Even _I_ can't power level sufficiently for that. I was planning on taking The Path of Destiny: in other words, the route that the players were originally intended to take. After I beat the Tower of Kraler, I get thrown into a scripted event known as Kraler Assault. Don't worry; the game was written so that only players involved in the event would be in the town. Everyone else will be teleported to a replica town, located on a separate server. They won't even notice the teleport, and the things they do in the replica town will transfer over. After that I'll head to the Evergreen Death, then south to the Lake of Contradiction and Mount Contradiction. I'll go south-west to the Marsh of Despair, then on to Zephyr Plateau. I'll fly to Skye Castle and conquer that, then head to the southern edge of the world; to the Valley of a Thousand Deaths. I'll follow the Staelios River to the Ruins of Astris in the south-eastern corner. From there I'm supposed to cross over into the Astral Sea, complete a series of quests there, before coming to the Starless Wastelands. I'll march past Rimewall Glacier, through Death Rime Pass, across the Silver Plains, and along the Raging Riddle River until I come to the only other NPC settlement; the city of Elasmeer. I'll need to resupply there most likely, take a moment to rest, before making the final push through Titan Hills, across the Fields of Evisceration and lastly to the Tower of the Gods. It won't be easy, but there's a lot of valuable items, weapons and armour to pick up along the way, and I'm not just talking about monetary value. From what I gather, there's going to be dozens of encounters with Dragons in this world, which will slow me down. Dragons don't die easily. There's also an extensive number of Demons, as well as battles against Angels, Princes of Hell, and Astral monsters of ridiculous strength. If I'm to do this right, I'll need to level up around ten times at each main location. By the end of this, I'll be above Level 100. I'll need to be for the Tower of the Gods. The monsters in that are insanely strong, or else present in massive numbers. This isn't going to be easy, but I believe it _is_ possible. I've never played a game I cannot beat. Now that there are 2.8 million lives at stake, I cannot _afford_ to be beaten.” The man looks at Sora in awe.

“You're planning on taking that route alone? You'll be facing the toughest enemies known to any VRMMO to ever exist. You really think you can do it?” Sora shrugs.

“I don't have a choice. If we want to get out of here, I need to pull my weight and make it happen, no matter what. I'll dedicate everything I have to the task. No holding back, no mercy, no hesitation. I can't afford to. Too much is riding on me being at least as good as people have come to believe I am.” The man studies the map for a time.

“I see, so that's the decision you've made. I can see your resolve, so I won't try to argue with you. Looking at this map, there's really only Kraler and Elasmeer as pre-existing settlements? Do you know of any suitable locations for setting up Safe Zones?” Sora studies the map more closely.

“Areas of the map that glow red are Sources of Evil; in other words danger zones where monsters spawn infinitely. Areas of the map that glow gold are Sources of Goodness; in other words areas where monsters cannot spawn. Just because they can't spawn there though, doesn't mean they can't then wander in. Excluding the two NPC settlements, there are six Gold Zones. One is the Cave of Origins. Another is at the base of the Zephyr Plateau. There is also Shimmering Mountain, the Valley of Tarran'sekra, Angel Woods, and Lake Gesselhuit. Only a few places, far apart, and only one of these is along the Path of Destiny. That said, there's an NPC Arch-mage in town who sells Gold Flags. The Flags act as miniature Sources of Goodness. They cover a radius of ten metres. Unlike the pre-existing Safe Zones however, the zones created by Gold Flags can be expanded using certain spells and items. If you cast an Orb of Radiance upon the Gold Flag, that will expand the safe zone. Certain dark monsters can have their blood harvested. Drow, Dusk Unicorns, Umbral Stalkers, Spectral Panthers, Shades, and Rune-scribed monsters. If you harvest their blood, use a purification spell on it, and then use that on the Gold Flags, the Safe Zone expands again. Make sure you purify the blood though, otherwise the Gold Flag turns into a Crimson Flag. Demons and Vampires will spawn and attack. Gold Flags are pretty useful, but they're not cheap. 50,000 Gold coins. Each.” The man nods.

“I see. That's valuable information. It might not be cheap to buy these Gold Flags, but if we can raise the money then it is definitely worthwhile. We'll want to be able to venture further out, find better resources and stronger items, and become stronger ourselves. You've given us a lot to work with, more than I expected. Thank you.” Sora nods, but doesn't answer. Another player steps forwards to look at the map, and indicates to a number of small silver lights.

“What are these? Treasure chests?” Sora shakes his head.

“No. Those are the Admin Interface Terminals. I managed to pull their locations and transfer them to my map while I was dealing with Reality Bytes. If a sudden situation arises, I'll need to know where an AIT is to tackle the problem as quickly as possible. I also want to be able to monitor those terrorists as much as possible, to delay them by any means I can manage. It won't do me any good to have to teleport back to town. Teleportation Spells have a limited range as well, so I would have to 'Jump' from Safe Zone to Safe Zone before getting here. That's assuming they don't simply block Teleportation. The sooner I can respond, the better.” The player nods, then indicates to a series of scattered blue lights.

“And those?” Sora hesitates.

“I'm not sure. The system lists them as being important, but I don't know _how_ important. I also don't know whether they're important to playing the game or simply running it. Several of them are on the Path of Destiny, so if they're useful in-game items, they'll be worth my while to collect. There's one problem though: each of these markers is in the middle of a Mob Spawn Zone. I only caught a glimpse, but it looks like each zone spawns mobs in high numbers, and almost always at the top end of the level range for their relevant location. There's only a 3% chance of a mob spawning at the low end of the level range. If they _are_ powerful weapons or something like that, then I'll devote everything I have to acquiring them. I'll do whatever I can to shorten my journey and defeat Reality Bytes as soon as possible. Once I've cleared the Tower of the Gods, victory is assured. No-one has beaten me in a VRMMO for about five years now. Not since the early days of my career. Reality Bytes _will_ fall to me.” The player nods, then steps back, no further questions to ask. The first man speaks again.

“I believe that should be all the information we need for now. Although, it would be best if we exchange names as well. The girl beside you called you 'Sora' as I recall. Would you object to me referring to you by that name?” Sora shakes his head.

“No it's fine. 'Sora Saki' is my full name, and easier to say than Virtual Demon. I'd also prefer to keep my identity secret from the general population, at least for the time being. If everyone knows that the VR Nightmare is amongst them, it could cause problems. There are a lot of competitive gamers who would likely rush into battle recklessly, seeking to beat the game before I do. That, quite frankly, is suicide. It's also likely that my... fan club would seek to follow me as well, even if I tell them not to. That could also lead to unnecessary deaths.” The man nods.

“I see your point. Not to be awkward, but I would prefer that you use my in-game alias. 'Kuroko' sounds better than my real name does. It's nothing embarrassing, just depressingly mundane.” Sora nods.

“Kuroko it is then. You're the leader of the Gold Fox guild right? As I recall, there was a Gold Fox guild in ALO as well. They participated in seventeen boss fights, including the so-called Floor 89 Disaster. Are the two guilds one and the same?” Kuroko nods.

“That's right. All of the original Gold Fox members have joined up here. We're one of seven veteran guilds in DCO.” Sora looks curious.

“Which are the others?” Kuroko ponders for a moment.

“There's the Blood Hawks, the Holy Crusaders, the Jötunheimr Valkyries, Silver Bullet, the Twelve Railguns, and the VRSAS.” Sora thinks carefully for a while.

“Yes, I'm familiar with each of these alliances. They each possess a lot of skill, but some are a little too specialised. Silver Bullet for example are one of the best GGO guilds, but in ALO their skills are lacking. The Holy Crusaders are the mirror of Silver Bullet, showing expertise in ALO and no shortage of weaknesses when it comes to GGO. So, it stands to reason that I make this decision then. Kuroko: I want your Gold Fox alliance to be in charge of the protection of this town and maintaining the morale of the players. As veterans of both ALO and GGO, your guild has the skills necessary to prevent Kraler from becoming a blood bath.” Kuroko frowns, looking confused.

“You want the Gold Fox on defence rather than offence?” Sora nods.

“I do. I have full confidence in your guild's abilities, in fact I'm well aware of them, but that isn't the problem. The problem is Reality Bytes. If they reconnect their AIT, then this town will be in grave danger. I suspect that many players will choose to remain in Kraler rather than risk their lives on a quest. The same logic applied to many people in SAO, from what I've heard. People would stay at the beginning of the game, and only venture out to other floors once they had been cleared. Reality Bytes knows this as well, and will use that to their advantage. They may seek to attack this town for 'reparations', at least that's what they'll call it. The truth is that they will launch a lightning campaign of reprisal killings; as a means of striking fear into our hearts and preventing a rebellion. I'd rather have the strongest and most experienced guild protecting the majority population than fighting on the front lines, even if that means a slower escape. Getting out of here alive will be meaningless if only a few thousand do so. That's why I'm asking you to hold position here. Organise any and all guilds who also remain. Work together to expand and fortify this town as a first priority. Kraler was only designed to hold a thousand people, including the NPCs, now it has a few million. Accommodations are crucial. Once that's done, work on a rotational system for levelling the guilds, increasing their strength. If Reality Bytes attacks Kraler, it will be with a monster of at least Level 40. I'll do what I can to buy you as much time for levelling as possible, but I'm one hacker working against thirty or so. I'd prefer it if you didn't have to rely on me too much. My main focus _must_ be the elimination of Reality Bytes, and thus the freedom of everyone trapped here.” Kuroko nods slowly, understanding completely.

“That makes sense logically. I know that I wouldn't be able to live with myself if we lost most of the people trapped here in a desperate attempt to escape quickly. Very well, I will abide by your suggestions. How long until your preparations are complete?” Sora opens his mouth to respond when a blood curdling scream pierces the silence. The guild leaders look about in shock, some going pale with fear. Kuroko looks concerned himself.

“What was that scream? Are we under attack already?” Sora feels ice creeping into his heart. _Oh no! Please God, let me be wrong. Don't let it wear off yet, more time needs to pass_. Sora studies his magic bar, and another scream echoes through his soul, driving fear into him as much as the emptiness of the bar. _It ran out! I ran out of magic, so the spell ended! I have to do something! I have to calm everyone down again!_ Sora starts sprinting at a phenomenal pace, tearing through the guild leaders before they can register his movement. Only Sinon gives chase as the others seem paralysed by fear and despair. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 2nd 2030 – 02:54 JST**

Director Shiraishi brings the car to a stop outside of a small, nondescript building. Lights are on inside of it, and laughter rings out. He switches off the engine and steps out of the car, walking up to the building. He stops just before the door, and reads the sign. _This is it. This is The Dicey Café. Kirito and the others should be inside. I just hope I can persuade them to help me._ He opens the door and steps inside. Two men and two women sit at the bar. Another man stands behind the bar, his dark skin showing early signs of wrinkles, his black beard streaked with wisps of grey. Agil looks up at Shiraishi.

“Welcome friend. Care for a drink?” The Director shakes his head as he walks nervously towards the bar.

“I'm afraid I don't have the luxury of stopping for a drink. I'm here on urgent business.” One of the two men turns around. He looks to be around twenty, his black hair a stylish mess, with kind black eyes as well.

“It sounds serious. If you've come here, then you're looking for us specifically, right? You know who we are?” Shiraishi nods.

“I do. Well, most of you. I recognise four of you as survivors of Sword Art Online.” A young woman with short black hair and dark grey eyes turns around.

“So that means I'm the one you don't recognise. Suguha Kirigaya. I'm Kazuto's cousin.” Shiraishi nods.

“I see. My name is Daichi Shiraishi.” Kazuto raises an eyebrow.

“The Director of QZR Studios? The studio behind Destiny's Calling Online? That game launched a few hours ago didn't it?” Shiraishi nods.

“That's right. At 21:00 JST, Destiny's Calling Online launched without a hitch. Everything was going fine, until the stroke of midnight. A mass teleport was carried out without our knowledge or authorization, bringing all players to Kraler, the starting town. An announcement was made to the players... informing them that their logout option had been removed. The players... they've been taken hostage by Reality Bytes. People have already started dying. Not just in the game, in the real world too.” The group gasps in shock. Kazuto finds his voice first.

“They're trapped? Like... like in SAO? How...?” Shiraishi shakes his head.

“I don't know. Somehow, Reality Bytes infiltrated our systems undetected. We didn't realise anything was wrong until the mass teleport was initiated. They said that the safety systems have all been switched off, and that the neural relays on the players' full-dive equipment have been tampered with. A preliminary report from the coroners confirms this. The victim's suffered from shock, it seems. It's believed that they received so much sensory information, in the form of pain signals, that they went into shock and suffered heart failure. We've contacted the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and we've begun a Player Relocation Operation, but there are many players to move, hospitals are being overwhelmed by the influx of patients.” A young woman with long orange-brown hair and hazel eyes speaks, her voice sounding weak with shock.

“How many... how many players are we talking about?” Shiraishi looks forlornly at Asuna.

“When Reality Bytes seized control, the player count was exactly 2.8 million.” The glass that had been in Asuna's hand falls to the ground and shatters.

“2.8... million? That many people have been captured? That's horrible! Who would take so many hostages?” Kazuto tries to comfort Asuna, and speaks to Shiraishi.

“Is anything being done for the players? Is there no way to pull them from the game?” Shiraishi shakes his head.

“All we can do is move them to the hospitals. An accidental logout or the forced removal of the full-dive gear has the same result as dying in the game. We've lost dozens already because of that. There is... there is one possible hope for them.” All faces turn to look at Shiraishi expectantly.

“Shortly after we began the PRO, we received a message, from within the game. One of the players contacted us. This player, who we are calling Nebula, has told us that they trapped Reality Bytes within the game. Nebula tells us that the only way to free the players is to defeat Reality Bytes in the game. They've asked us to assemble a team of veteran gamers to come into DCO and help them fight against Reality Bytes. Nebula assures us that a window of time can be bought to bring new players in undetected, but not for much longer. Once Reality Bytes reconnects their Admin Interface Terminal to the network, the players will be on their own. No more outside assistance.” Kazuto nods.

“I see. So that's why you've come here. You need VRMMO veterans, so you've come looking for the best of the best. I'll do it.” Asuna starts.

“Wait, Kazuto! You shouldn't be so quick to volunteer. I know you want to help these people. We _all_ do, believe me, but you can't be so reckless. We don't know anything about the situation we're facing. For all we know, Nebula could be a member of Reality Bytes just toying with us, trying to get new hostages. They have nearly three million now, but if they capture SAO survivors as well, then they earn themselves far greater media attention, which is what they want.” Kazuto hesitates.

“I know. I get it, but I can't just sit here. I know full well what that Hell was like. I want to help these people survive it as we did. No, I want them to survive it _better_ than we did. I know it's risky, but I don't see any other options. As long as their AIT is disconnected, Reality Bytes are stranded in DCO. That gives us a window of opportunity. If Nebula turns out to be one of them, we can beat him. We're the world's best players. No-one can match us. If we work together, no-one can beat us.” Asuna sighs.

“Alright. If you really want to do this, I'll help you. I just wanted to make sure you understood what you were asking of us. We should contact Shino as well. She might be able to help out.” Shiraishi interjects.

“Shino Asada's game name is Sinon isn't it? If so, then she's among the hostages already.” Suguha speaks up.

“Sinon's been captured as well? That does it then, I'm coming too!” Kazuto turns in shock.

“Suguha, you can't-” Suguha cuts him off.

“Don't even _think_ about leaving me behind _this_ time bro! Do you realise how hard it was for me to wait for you to wake up for two years? You can't ask me to go through that again! That's _our_ friend being held by these terrorists. You're not the only one who wants to save Sinon, so don't act like you are. I'm coming with you, even if we all die. I'd rather die with you than spend years waiting for you to wake up and fighting against the fear that you never will. That helplessness, that feeling of being unable to do anything for someone you care about, _that_ is Hell, in all sense of the word.” Shiraishi's cellphone rings, interrupting the argument.

“Shiraishi. What? They're killing each other? How many have we lost? Dear God! I-I understand. I'm on my way.” Shiraishi hangs up, and stares at his phone in disbelief.

“This... this just keeps getting worse. Several players have... had some kind of breakdown. They're... slaughtering other players. They've killed... more than five hundred already.” Klein speaks up at last, finally joining the conversation.

“So are we just going to sit around, or are we going to save these people?”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 2nd 2030 – 03:22 JST**

Sora duels with three players simultaneously. One is a Vampire with white hair and red eyes, wielding a Morning Star. One is a Human with ginger hair and brown eyes, wielding a pair of curved daggers that glow green. The third is an Orc, two and a half metres tall, with grey skin and black eyes, wielding a Battle Axe. All three players have red icons hovering above them. Sora wields his Estoc in his right hand, and a Parrying Dagger in his left hand. Even though he is vastly more skilful than his opponents, the pandemonium created by the crowds of people fleeing in random directions makes it difficult for him to fight effectively without injuring the panic-stricken masses. The Player Killers take full advantage of this, attacking Sora simultaneously with wild swings, not caring who they hurt and kill in the process. The Human and Vampire strike fast, trying to flank him. Sora parries both attacks at the same time. The Morning Star is deflected by a ferocious thrust, while the curved daggers are blocked time and again by Sora's own dagger as it spins around his fingers. The Orc strikes, believing that Sora is defenceless. As he brings down the axe, he realises his mistake too late to save himself. Sora backflips, kicking the axe into the air. He lunges forward, thrusting the Estoc through the Orc's heart, and the player disintegrates, leaving nothing behind. The Vampire tries to strike Sora from behind, but a roundhouse to the kick snaps his neck. The Human turns tail and runs. The whistle of steel barely precedes the dagger as it burrows into the retreating player's skull. Sora retrieves his Parrying Dagger and immediately sheaths it, carrying the Vampire's Morning Star instead as he charges straight into the next battle. He caves in the heads of two more Red Players before an arrow burrows into the shaft of the Morning Star. Sora barely has the chance to look at the arrow before it explodes, throwing him back and releasing his grip on the Estoc. Four Red Players attack at once, but they have underestimated their opponent. From the folds of his robes, Sora draws out a pair of hatchets, and repels the attacks. Before the Player Killers can recover, Sora is upon them, hacking at their heads, necks and torsos. Another arrow flashes towards Sora, but this time he splits it, the two halves falling harmlessly to the ground. Two more arrows are blocked before Sora throws one of the hatchets, splitting the bow of an Elf, who doesn't immediately register the hatchet buried into his chest. Three more Red Players strike as Sora draws the Parrying Dagger again, but their attacks count for nothing, and they fall to him. Sora looks about himself, but he can see no more Red Players. He reaches into his pocket and extracts a blood red twelve-sided die with gold numbers. _Desperate times call for desperate measures_. He holds the die in his right hand, and speaks to it.

“I need to cast a spell two and a half times my level.” Sora rolls the die and watches it bounce in the grass. It comes to a stop, and a golden number eight materialises in the air. A message appears before him.

“Success! Cast one Level 20 Spell within twenty seconds. Cost: 80% HP.” Sora nods. _Fair enough_. He raises his hands above his head.

“Langris Korda Juxel Sirralin Amarya!” Azure light erupts from his hands and rises up above the town of Kraler, forming a brilliant blue sphere. Ethereal music fills the air, reverberating hauntingly. The screaming stops. The fighting stops. The aimless running stops. The panic stops. Everyone merely stands and stares at the Azure Orb. Sora senses someone walk up next to him.

“That's a remarkable sight, but what exactly _is_ it?” Sora glances at Sinon.

“A Calming Spell. Actually, it's a Fourth Generation Calming Spell, something that can normally only be cast at Level 20. This is the only way I can end the chaos. People won't calm down through words alone, so I must use magic.” Sinon looks at Sora in surprise, then gasps in shock as she sees his health bar. Only a sliver remains, flashing red.

“Sora! Your health!” Sora nods.

“I know. Even on a successful roll, using a Destiny Die has its costs. I was already injured from fighting, but I calculated that I would survive the spell, so I used it. When the alternative is pandemonium and uncontrollable loss of life, I will always choose to push myself to the brink of death. You can lecture me on my recklessness later, right now I need your help. You're a Level 4 Elven Archer aren't you? Your Perception and Analysis scores must be among your highest. They should be high enough for what I have in mind as well. I need you to search out any remaining Red Players. While this spell is in place, everyone here will be in a passive state, non violent. Capture any Red Players you find and turn them over to the Knights of the Kraler Guard. You have eight minutes before the spell expires.” Sinon nods.

“Alright. What will you do?” Sora fixes her with a determined gaze.

“I'm going to use everything I have to suppress the feelings of fear and despair that these people have. My Charisma and Arcana skills are high, so this should work out pretty well. Once the spell expires, cease pursuit of Red Players. They'll only undo my work, killing in a blind panic in an attempt to avoid capture. Let them flee. We can deal with them another day. If everything works out, head for the Dragon's Head Tavern. I'm going to need a drink after all this.” Sinon smiles faintly.

“You got it. Sora... good luck, and don't die.” Sora smiles mischievously.

“Same to you Sinon. Good hunting.” Sinon slips away, searching through the crowds, the sea of green icons. Sora turns his attention back to the azure sphere. From the corner of his eye, he can see his health bar gradually refilling. _Regeneration is a Class Trait of the Hellborne, and one of the reasons I chose to be one. As long as I'm not attacked or distracted, this should end well. It all depends on my next move, and on how well I understand the mechanics of this game. What I'm about to attempt, at the very least, is to bend the mechanics of the game to suit this situation. I really hope that it's possible, otherwise this is a wasted effort. Well, you know what they say: Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Time to venture_. Sora closes his eyes and calms his breathing, letting the stress and anxiety leach from his body. He focuses on peaceful thoughts and soothing sounds and images. Waves lapping the shore, a light autumn rain, a gentle breeze blowing through a meadow. Calming images, and relaxing sounds. He gradually raises his arms up either side of himself, hands outstretched, so that he takes on a cruciform posture.

“Mellius Dyrinda.” Even through his closed eyes, Sora is able to perceive the change in the sphere's luminosity. The azure light it shines with dims and softens, becoming less harsh. The ethereal music gradually fades away, being replaced by the sounds that Sora hears within his mind. He furrows his brow slightly, then wills his emotions to permeate out from his body. With his sense of vision being restrained, Sora's other senses sharpen to compensate. He can hear the changes in the breathing of those around him, and knows that his emotions are beginning to suffuse through the town. His calmness, his resolve, his fearlessness, his strength, his courage. Everything he feels right now is gradually washing over his fellow gamers. _That's right. There is no reason to despair. No need to feel fear. Together we are_ strong _. Together we_ will _survive. We will_ all _leave this game._ Together _. Fear no more. Despair no more. Doubt no more. This is_ not _the end, merely an unexpected intersection of life. This is the crossroads of fate. You have options before you, behind you, and to either side of you. Make a decision. Overcome this hurdle before you and become stronger because of it. I_ know _you can do it. I have_ faith _in you. All you need to do is_ believe _in yourselves. You_ can _and_ will _accomplish great things as long as you_ believe _that you can_. Gradually, the light begins to wane, and the sounds fade away as well. Sora opens his eyes slowly, and sees everyone still staring at the sphere. After a few long seconds, the azure sphere fades away completely, and silence descends. As Sora lowers his arms, the silence is rent by a long, drawn-out yawn. Another follows it, then another, and another. The air is filled with a chorus of yawns and tired mumbling. People all around begin to lurch tiredly towards inns, boarding houses, even sheltered alleys. Anywhere they can lay down and sleep. Several players seem to be wide awake still, so they tend to the resting and the injured, using healing potions and spells, covering people with blankets and taking up watch positions, as if they instinctively know what to do in this situation. Sora sags, letting out a sigh of relief. _It worked. Thank goodness. It was a bold gamble, but I had to try it. The hardest part was subduing my anxiety and preventing that from being transmitted. I succeeded there, and achieved a better result than I dared to believe possible. They won't sleep for long, maybe three hours, but that's long enough. They'll calm down, and won't freak out as much when they awake. It will still be a shock to them, there's no avoiding it, but this will reduce the damage that will be done. I need a drink or six, and a vacation. No rest for the wicked though, I need to prepare for the Rescue Team's arrival. I can rest when Reality Bytes is brought crashing down_. A chill runs down Sora's spine, preceding the cry.

“Watch out!” Sora spins around and looks up, seeing a cloaked figure leaping down at him from the adjacent rooftop, a pair of Katar blades in their hands. Sora hesitates a moment, before back flipping. As his legs swing over his head, his right foot slams into the attacker's crotch. Sora pulls his foot back, hooking the attacker, throwing their strike completely off. As Sora rights himself, the attacker crashes face first into the dirt. Sora draws his Estoc and adopts a defensive stance, but it isn't necessary. The attacker lay crippled on the ground, both hands clutching his testicles. Two NPCs haul the man to his feet, and his hood falls away, revealing the pointed ears of an elf, lengthy blonde hair, and dark blue eyes. They drag him away, towards the town jail.

“Are you alright?” Sora turns to see Sinon, who looks at him with concern. Sora sheaths the Estoc.

“I will be. I'm just glad it was a guy who attacked me, or I'd be in serious trouble. Now that everything's settled down, I think it's high time I took care of my health problem.” He extracts a small bottle filled with a clear purple liquid, and removes the stopper. He sniffs the liquid cautiously, before drinking the potion in one go. Sinon watches as both his health and magic refill completely.

“An Elixir of Vitality. Those are pretty hard to come by. Do you mind if I ask why you sniffed it first?” Sora smiles.

“I got the Elixir from the same Drow who dropped the cloak. Drow have a habit of slipping poisons into their potions when they believe they're about to die. Not in this instance it seems. Drow use three poisonous substances for that trap though. There's Gel'uah; which has a vinegary odour to it, Soyodi; which smells like Lavender, and then there's Alginak; which has the exact same bitter almond scent as Cyanide. The Elixir of Vitality typically has a different odour, very unpleasant actually. To put it bluntly, the Elixir smells like piss and curry.” Sinon wrinkles her nose.

“Oh that's just wrong! They seriously made such an essential potion have such a foul odour? Please tell me it tastes better than it smells.” Sora nods.

“It does. The taste is... actually I think it tastes like water with a pinch of Cumin added. The predominant flavour is water, but there's a faint spice underlying that.” Sinon sighs.

“Well that's a relief. I'd hate to have to keep drinking something that tastes revolting. It's going to be difficult enough just enduring the smell. So, what's our next move?” Sora straightens himself out.

“I need to get back to the AIT. I've lost track of time in here, and my system clock is incorrect. I made a note of that last time I was at the AIT, but I didn't think to rectify the error. I need to see how Reality Bytes is progressing, and try to slow them down some more.” Sinon looks at him suspiciously.

“That's not all is it? I've been observing you closely for a while now. What are you hiding?” Sora looks about, seeing if anyone is close enough to eavesdrop, and only speaking once he is satisfied they will not be overheard.

“When I trapped Reality Bytes, I also sent out a message to QZR Studios. I instructed them to initiate an emergency PRO, and to assemble a rescue team of VRMMO veterans.” Sinon flinches, surprised.

“You got word out? That's... impressive. So you've requested a rescue team. Why? You don't plan on bringing them in do you?” Sora sighs.

“Sadly, that's _exactly_ what I intend to do. I couldn't say it to the guild leaders, but I _can't_ reach Reality Bytes by myself. It's impossible. Those two hours I spent fighting alone weren't _just_ for power levelling. I wanted to see how far I could go alone. I hate to say it, but I'm already at an impasse. I can't even make it to the Tower of Kraler, let alone the Tower of the Gods. I need help Sinon, but not just anyone. I need the best of the best. I need players who can level up as fast as I do. I need players who can solo a boss or take out a mob swarm. I need Beaters. Whether or not I get that is another matter. Communications were one way. I only requested aid. I don't even know if they received my message, let alone if they acted upon it. I can only hope that they did, and that the situation was dire enough that they decided to gamble on me. If not, then we may never get out of here. I can slow Reality Bytes down, but I can't keep them here for years on end. The longer we spend in this world, the more likely it'll be that Reality Bytes breaks past my traps and frees themselves from the game. They'll win, and we'll lose our lives.” Sinon looks troubled by this.

“Why didn't you say anything before?” Sora shakes his head.

“I couldn't. Not really. This is the first opportunity I've had to tell you the truth, and I'm only telling it to you. You've earned my trust, so I don't have any reason to keep quiet. If I tell anyone else though, it'll only undo everything I just did. All of that fighting, the lives I took, the risks I put myself through, it will all be for nothing. I won't let this be for nothing. Too many lives are at stake. So I kept this a secret from everyone else. You're the one person in the whole world that I trust.” Sinon is taken aback by the answer. _He trusts me? I'm the only one in the world. Those are his words. I can't help but wonder why he trusts me, but for some reason it makes me feel better knowing that he does_. Sora speaks again.

“So, now that you know the truth: what will you do with it?” Sinon is silent for a moment, looking contemplative. _Does he even need to ask? There is only one thing to do in this situation_. She opens up her menu and makes selections quickly. A message appears before Sora. 'Party Request. Player Sinon would like to join your party. Do you accept?' Sora hesitates, his finger hovering over the message.

“Are you sure about this? If you stay with me, you're liable to die. I plan on marching to the Tower of the Gods once I've confirmed whether or not the Rescue Team is coming. Sticking with me carries a 100% fatality risk. I won't blame you for backing out.” Sinon shakes her head firmly.

“No way. Even if I don't come with you, I still plan on attacking Reality Bytes. Either option will likely lead to my death, but I'd rather die fighting than die waiting. Besides, my odds of survival are better if I'm with you. I've seen how you fight, and I've seen how you think. No-one matches you, not even Kirito. You're undeniably the best gamer in the world. Even if we still end up dying, we'll get a whole lot further than any of the guilds will. Hell, the Gold Fox alliance can amass an army of half a million, and it still wouldn't progress as far as the two of us will. If we link up with the Rescue Team as well, the odds start to stack in our favour. Besides, you're a Swordmage. Your attacks have a limited range. Most fall into the Short Range category. At best, you can engage enemies that fall into the Medium Range category. So what will you do if you're faced with archers or aerial enemies? Do you even have any Long Range abilities? Like you said, I'm an Elven Archer. My primary weapon is a Longbow. I have substantial ranging capabilities. You've got close quarters covered, I've got long range covered. Together, we cover all bases. We each compensate for where the other is lacking. Alone we are weak, together we are strong. More than that though, you're the only one here I know, even if I don't know you all that well. I trust you more than I do anyone else in this world. I can't work with someone if there's no trust.” Sora nods, then presses 'Accept'.

“ _That's_ what I was waiting to hear. Trust is more important than strength. A guild of weak players can conquer a lone Beater if they trust each other implicitly. I feel better about our odds already, now that I know I've earned a degree of your trust. It may not be implicit trust, but it's enough. I can only build upon that trust as we progress along the Path of Destiny. Whether the Rescue Team joins us or not, I will still watch your back, knowing that you'll be watching mine. Now that that's sorted, we need to move. If the Rescue Team has been assembled, then they'll be waiting for me to contact them again as I told them I would. I'm going to buy time for the Rescue Team to dive in. You'll want to prepare yourself for that. It's going to be rough, and I have no idea just how rough it's going to be. That all depends on how Reality Bytes and how DCO's security systems respond to me.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 2nd 2030 – 04:34 JST**

The doors to the Operations Room at QZR Studios swing wide open as Director Shiraishi marches in, Kazuto and the others following in his wake.

“What's the situation? Has there been any change?” The freckled programmer, Hiro, turns to face his superior.

“You should see for yourself. I'm still having trouble believing what my eyes have seen.” Shiraishi frowns, then looks at the main screen. An aerial view of Kraler is displayed, and the players can be clearly seen. Most of them lay down, covered by blankets, while a handful of others keep watch.

“Are they... are the players _sleeping_? What happened? Just a short while ago they were rampaging in a mad panic. How could they have calmed down so quickly?” Cassandra answers him.

“I think this must be the work of Nebula. Bear with me sir, and I'll show you what I mean.” Shiraishi nods and waits patiently while Cassandra works furiously at her computer. The main screen changes, showing footage of what can only be described as anarchy. Players fight amongst one another, fires rage uncontrollably, and in the midst of it all, a single crimson coloured Demon sprints through the crowds. Cassandra indicates to the Demon.

“We think that this player here is Nebula. That strange looking Hellborne. Just watch what he does, it's pretty incredible.” Shiraishi and the others watch as the Hellborne scales a church, and a ball of light erupts from his hands like a firework. All fires in the town suddenly extinguish, and all panicking stops abruptly.

“Did he just... was that Multicasting? I didn't think players would be able to cast multiple spells simultaneously so quickly. There's at least two spells there; a Signal Spell and an Airwave Spell.” Cassandra nods.

“We detected the patterns of two more spells as well; a Calmness Spell and a Loudspeaker Spell. Unfortunately, the sound recorders aren't functioning properly. Sound drops out intermittently, so we can't hear what he's saying, but this Hellborne seems to be trying to calm everyone down. After this, he heads over to Victory Plaza with a group of players. They're all guild leaders, but we weren't able to record the meeting. It took a while though, and in that time, Nebula's magic power ran out. His spells ended, and the players went into another frenzy. This is where things become... intense.” Cassandra fast forwards the footage, skipping through to another Hellish scene of panic-stricken masses fighting one another. The Hellborne rushes in from off screen, sword drawn, and attacks players viciously. Several players fall to his blade, disintegrating where they fall.

“At first we thought he'd snapped just like everyone else, but look closely. Look at the players he attacks. He isn't fighting against just anyone. His focus is solely on players who have already killed their own. In other words, he's eliminating the Player Killers. I don't agree with his actions personally, but I understand that this is a mitigating circumstance. I have to concede as well that it's better to eliminate the Red Players than to let them kill innocent people endlessly. That doesn't mean I have to like it.” Kazuto watches in awe.

“I doubt that _he_ likes it either, but like you said, this is the lesser of two evils. If the Red Players are left unchecked, then there will never be any sense of calm. I wasn't expecting to see such skill from him though. Players of his calibre are rare. His reflexes are remarkable, and his precision is deadly. He'd make a formidable opponent.” Cassandra nods.

“You're probably right. You'll want to pay especially close attention now though. This is where things become most incredible, and hardest to believe.” They all watch as Nebula executes an Elven Archer with a hatchet, then reaches into his pocket, extracting something small and blood red. Shiraishi gasps.

“Is that one of the Destiny Die? Don't tell me he uses it _now_?” Cassandra doesn't have to say anything. Nebula raises the die and whispers to it, before rolling. They just about make out a golden number eight, but the accompanying message is illegible. Asuna frowns.

“Destiny Die?” Cassandra nods.

“It's one of the features of this game, designed to make an impossible situation possible, or turn a simple task into your execution, depending on your luck. The Destiny Die is a twelve-sided die that all players start with. You instruct the die of what you want to do, then roll. If you are successful, then you can do things that are normally impossible. Use spells above your level, cut through stone with a spoon, fall ten thousand metres and live. Anything is possible on a successful roll. Conversely, if you roll unsuccessfully, you're in serious trouble. You can be poisoned, you could lose all your items, you could be teleported into a Dragon's lair. You can die a billion different ways in this game, thanks to the Destiny Die. The more dice you collect, the more spectacular the success, and the more dreadful the penalty. We didn't expect someone to risk using the die now that the safety systems are offline though. It just doesn't seem worthwhile to put your life on the line, but Nebula did.” They watch as the Hellborne raises both hands above him, and bright azure light erupts from his hands, forming a large sphere in the sky. Shiraishi gasps in shock.

“Good God! I know that spell! That's a Fourth Generation Calming Spell! You need to be Level 20 to cast it though. He used the Destiny Die to cast a spell like that? I don't know whether he's a genius or just insane. Regardless of his sanity though, he couldn't have chosen a better spell for the situation. As long as he maintains it properly, everyone will remain calm. Well, he must have done, otherwise they wouldn't be sleeping. Who's that speaking to him?” Cassandra shakes her head.

“We're not sure. They're an Elven Archer, but we don't know more than that. We can't display player names, and we can't pull up all of the profile information and search through that way either. When Reality Bytes took over, they made a mess of our systems. It's been a struggle just to get this much.” Suguha studies the Elf closely.

“I think that's Sinon. Something about her appearance and body language is familiar.” The video footage stops abruptly. Shiraishi looks at Cassandra.

“What happened?” Cassandra sighs.

“The recorders seized up and couldn't capture any more. We're trying to get them back online, but it's an uphill struggle. After this, the Elf went and captured twelve players, handing each one over to the NPCs before heading back to Nebula with a pair of guards. When the Calming Spell ended, a Red Player tried to attack Nebula, but was incapacitated and arrested. Nebula and the Elf spoke for a few minutes, before leaving the town. We think they're headed for the nearest AIT, which is located in the woods just outside of town. That's when you showed up here. As for the other players; they all started taking a nap wherever they could, while a handful of others took up watch positions. At least one guild has begun building makeshift accommodations. We've also counted several dozen players who fled town. We suspect that they might be Red Players. At this stage, that's all we know, but Nebula should be contacting us soon.” Shiraishi nods.

“Alright, I understand the situation now. Cassandra, I want you to give Kirito and his team a crash course in Destiny's Calling Online. We need to move as soon as possible, before Reality Bytes can block off communications and new players. Nebula is due to make contact shortly after 0500 local time. Hopefully, we'll be able to speak with him instead of just receiving a message.” Cassandra nods.

“Alright.” She turns to Kazuto and the others.

“If you'd like to follow me, we'll be going to the Dive Room. I can give you an overview of the game to get you started. Further instruction can take place on the other side. I'll be escorting you into the game for security purposes. We still need to determine with complete confidence whether or not Nebula can be trusted. Don't worry about protecting me. I'm a veteran of ALO and GGO. I'm the best VRMMO player on staff.” Kazuto and the others nod, and follow Cassandra out through a side door. Only a few seconds pass before klaxons sound, and the Operations Room is bathed in red from the emergency lights. Shiraishi looks shocked.

“What's going on?” Hiro answers him, looking equally shocked.

“It's a virus! No, _multiple_ viruses! They're... coming from the _game_? What?” The main screen flickers, and a live video feed appears, showing a Demonic man with crimson skin and silver runes, his left eye brown, his right eye green.

“Director Daichi Shiraishi: Are you receiving this communication? I sent out the message earlier, informing you of the attack by Reality Bytes, and their capture. I was the one to do it, and the one to request a rescue team. Audio input and output devices should be functioning. You should be able to hear me and speak to me.” Shiraishi speaks hesitantly, nervously.

“This is Shiraishi. Are these viruses your doing?” The Hellborne nods.

“They are. They're not intended for harm however. Not to harm _you_ at least, or the hostages. I've released a total of four hundred and eighteen viruses, most of which are targeting Reality Bytes with the intention of slowing those bastards down. The remainder, a total of seventeen, are being used to allow us to talk, and to allow the Rescue Team to enter the game. That is... assuming you assembled one. Please tell me you did.” Shiraishi nods.

“I returned with the team a few minutes ago.” Nebula sighs in relief.

“Thank God! I was seriously worried I'd have to do this alone. Well, _almost_ alone. I've linked up with one of the players here. Sinon. I've met her before, and we've fought against each other in GGO a few times. She's good, and I have confidence in her abilities. She's also showing trust in me to help out. I fully intend to. I'm going to give it everything I have to save as many lives as possible, even though necessity dictated that I had to sacrifice several already. The fact that they were Red Players doesn't make it any easier. No matter how you look at it, I have blood on my hands.” Shiraishi nods again.

“Try not to dwell on that too much Nebula, focus on the lives that can still be saved.” Nebula looks confused for a moment.

“Nebula? Oh, right. That must be me. Oh yeah, I signed the message with a picture of the Helix Nebula. I remember now. Things have been chaotic here, and casting that Calming Spell brought me to the brink of death. I'm fine now, before you start worrying. I assembled all the guild leaders earlier and explained the situation to them. It took a bit of work, and help from Sinon, but we're getting somewhere. The Gold Fox Alliance have agreed to remain in Kraler and protect the players. They're the strongest guild here, but I'd rather have the strongest on defence in case Reality Bytes sends in a big monster, which they will as soon as they're able. Most alliances are probably going to stay in town, certainly to begin with, in order to expand Kraler to accommodate its extra inhabitants, and to protect those players. A rotational system will be initiated so that each guild can level up evenly. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so this system will prevent weak links from forming. Several alliances are going to explore outwards however. We can't remain in one town indefinitely, so some of these guilds are going to set up Safe Zones further out. Others will provide way-stations for players to rest at, while others still plan on engaging Reality Bytes as well. I've warned them of the dangers they face, and advised them as best I can. They're determined to do something rather than sit around. Whether they succeed or not depends on their skill, their luck, and perhaps even upon the Gods. If I might ask, who will you be sending into this nightmare?” Shiraishi hesitates, then answers.

“You may be relieved to learn that you'll be receiving the best of the best, VRMMO veterans who have been playing since the very beginning. Four SAO survivors, and an ALO veteran affiliated with them. Kirito, Asuna, Agil, Klein, and also Kirito's cousin. We're also sending in an employee of the studio: Cassandra Emerson. She's an ALO and GGO veteran, her game name is Cassiopeia.” Nebula tilts his head.

“Cassiopeia? I know her. We've crossed paths in GGO countless times, mostly in BoB tournaments. She's a decent player, but too predictable to best me. Hearing that I'll be joined by such famous SAO survivors creates mixed feelings. On the one hand, I'm relieved that I'll be working with highly skilled players who'll be able to keep up with me. On the other hand, I'm saddened that I'm having to ask them to trap themselves in this game. I don't like doing it. I heard that Kirito and Asuna are married now. I would never have asked them to come here, but this isn't something I can do alone. I hate myself for that. I've spent roughly seven years in VR, becoming the best player I could be, but I'm still not good enough.” Hiro gasps as he figures it out.

“You're the VR Nightmare aren't you?” Sora smiles mischievously.

“I was wondering how long it would be before someone figured it out. You're right, _I'm_ the worst nightmare of all VR developers, the player who refuses to be beaten, the 500 time BoB champion. You name the accolade, I have it. Oh don't sound so surprised. Did you really think that _I_ , someone with a reputation for beating impossible situations, would _really_ pass up on trying to beat the one game that's supposed to be impossible to complete solo? Get real! That was basically a personal challenge. I accepted that challenge, and... well I guess it doesn't matter any more. Reality Bytes threw a spanner in the works, and they've evoked my wrath. Don't start celebrating just yet though. I called in support for a reason. I _can't_ do this alone. Not without the safety systems. If I solo this game as it is, I _will_ die. I've come to within ten hit points of death already, I don't plan on doing that again if I can help it. Regardless, I'll do my best to live up to your expectations. My reputation is on the line after all. I only ask that you be patient, and that you be understanding. Despite what some players say, I'm not immortal, nor am I unbeatable. There is an 87% probability that this game will defeat me, one way or another. I'll use all of my skill to avoid that fate and free the hostages. At the same time though, I have to monitor Reality Bytes and delay them as much as possible. I have the locations of all the game's AITs marked on my map, but ultimately that might not be enough. These hackers are better than I am. I was always better at _playing_ the game rather than cheating it. Reality Bytes are the opposite. They have eight years of hacking experience, and they're motivated to see their crusade end in success. If I can make it to them while their AIT is disconnected, then we win. If not, then it's entirely probable that _they'll_ win instead. If they win, 2.8 million will die, and the Virtual World will be erased. I've sworn an oath to prevent that from happening, and you can help me with that.” Shiraishi raises an eyebrow.

“How so? What can _we_ do from the _outside_?” Sora hesitates.

“Not all of Reality Bytes is trapped in this game. They didn't all dive in to begin with. There's going to be a few members outside the game, trying to help their trapped comrades, and take care of their physical bodies as well. Reality Bytes can't go to the hospitals, so they're elsewhere. Normally, they're an international organization, so they'd be spread out. However, for an operation like this, they'd need to be together. These guys are careful. Very careful. They must have anticipated getting trapped in the game, because there's some sort of algorithm in place. As long as Reality Bytes is in DCO, our logout options will remain absent from our menus. In other words, as long as they're stuck here, we're stuck here. If I could disable that algorithm, I'd be able to kick those hackers and free everyone, but I can't. It's years beyond my understanding. So I'm going with my fall back option. What _you_ can do, is try to track down Reality Bytes. As I said, they're all going to be together, so they'll be set up in a warehouse or an abandoned factory or something. Find out where they are, and alert the Ministry of Internal Affairs. They'll handle the arrests, and then at the very least we'll have some of them in custody. Those hackers outside of the game are also a threat to the hostages. They could be trying to undo my work as we speak, or they could be trying to trace my location. If they find me, they'll execute me without a second thought. The probability of _that_ stands at 3%, but that's 3% higher than I'd like. Protect us from external threats, while I do my best to protect us from the internal ones. Deal?” Shiraishi nods.

“We'll do our best, and good luck to you too. The Rescue Team should be in the Dive Room by now and getting ready to join you. Whatever you're going to do to buy them a window, you'd better get ready to do it.” Sora nods.

“I'm all set here. Just give me the word and send them in. Oh, but don't tell them who I am. I think it's best that they don't know for now. It might make them overconfident, and that could be fatal.” Shiraishi heads to the central console and picks up a headset, slipping it on.

“Cassandra, are you and the team in position?” There is silence for a few seconds before the response comes.

“We're here. The machines are loading up. We'll be ready to dive in about sixty seconds. What was the alarm about? Are we being attacked?” Shiraishi glances at the screen.

“No. The system just interpreted it as an attack. We've made contact with Nebula. He's updated us on the situation, and the plan. He's standing by for the signal to dive. You were right, he _is_ the unusual Hellborne. The Elf who was speaking with him is confirmed to be Sinon. The two are working together, and have a prior relationship of some nature. If you're all ready to dive, I'll give Nebula the signal.” The response comes without hesitation.

“That's fine. Just tell us when to dive.” Shiraishi nods, then covers the microphone.

“Alright Nebula, they're ready to dive. You're up now.” Sora nods once more, and begins typing furiously at a console below the camera shot. The klaxons blare, and immediately silence themselves. Computer screens all around the room go haywire, turning on and off, flicking between cameras, running and exiting programs at random.

“It's done. Your team has five minutes to dive. Tell them to make race and class selections immediately.” Shiraishi nods and speaks into the microphone.

“Cassandra: You have less than five minutes. Dive now!” Again, there is no hesitation.

“Diving. See you on the other side.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 2nd 2030 – 0507 JST**

Sora stands, waiting patiently, watching the countdown timer tick away. A player materialises out of thin air, then another, and another. Soon, six players stand amongst the trees, looking around themselves.

“Glad you could make it. Welcome to Destiny's Calling Online. At least, that's how I _would_ greet you if we weren't in the middle of a hostage situation. I guess I should introduce myself. I'm a Level 8 Hellborne Swordmage, but you can call me Nebula. Looking at your player names, it seems like I've got the best Rescue Team I could hope for. I'm relieved about that, but at the same time I'm sorry for having to drag you into this mess. If I could clean it up myself, I'd do it, but I'm in way over my head. I'll do my best to ensure that all of you join the hostages in escaping this game, but don't hold me to that. I can't work miracles. I have my limits as everyone does. The odds are high that we'll suffer losses, so I hope you're ready for that. Any questions?” Kirito steps forwards, his avatar being that of a tallish young man with shoulder length black hair and blood red eyes.

“That's an AIT isn't it? Would I be able to access my home system from there?” Sora hesitates.

“Um, yeah I guess. I don't see why you'd want to though. Stats and items from other games can't transfer over.” Kirito starts working at the console.

“I figured as much, but that's not what I'm after. I'm bringing in a little extra help.” Asuna appears at Kirito's shoulder, her avatar being that of a tall and beautiful blue-haired Faerie.

“Little being the operative word.” Kirito finishes typing, and another person materialises; a small pixie girl with black hair.

“Mommy! Daddy!” Sora frowns at the scene. _Mommy? Daddy? What's going on here? Who is this girl?_ Kirito and Asuna greet the girl.

“Hello Yui. We're sorry to have to get you involved here, but do you think you can help us out?” Yui nods.

“Anything for you two! You know that!” A klaxon sounds from the console, and Yui begins to flicker, earning a frightened gasp from Asuna.

“Yui! What's happening to you?” Kirito starts to work at the console, until Sora knocks him aside.

“Move!” Sora works furiously, his fingers a blur at the terminal. _Amateurs! You can't bring outside programs into DCO so easily! The system's treating this Yui girl as a virus and trying to erase her. Not if I can help it. I don't know what she can do, but I doubt these two would bring her in without good reason._ Gradually, Yui stops flickering, remaining solid. The klaxon silences as well. Sora leans back with a sigh.

“That was a close one. When you said you were bringing help, I thought you meant information. You should have told me you were bringing an outside program into DCO. The system thought it was a virus and took the necessary countermeasures. You're lucky I was here, otherwise the system would have succeeded. Just so I know ahead of time, are there any other programs you're planning on bringing in that I should know about?” Kirito stands awkwardly.

“No, no other programs. Um... thanks. For saving Yui.” Yui hovers before Sora.

“You don't have to be mean to Daddy. He didn't mean to cause any problems.” Sora sighs.

“I guess not, but that tends to be how problems occur to begin with: unintentionally. I don't mean to lecture Kirito about this, but I dislike complications. This is already a messed up situation as it is, and it's only just beginning. To have problems arise within seconds of your arrival is not something I was expecting to deal with. Still, I'm sorry for being mean. This is a trying situation, but that doesn't excuse me for being so blunt.” Yui seems satisfied with the apology, and Kirito speaks.

“I'm sorry too. I should have told you what I was planning beforehand. I didn't realise Yui would be treated as a virus, even though this happened once before. I suppose I should explain. Yui was originally a support program from Sword Art Online. She was a Mental Health Counselling Program. When she acted against her own programming, she was treated as a virus and almost deleted, but I managed to save her onto my home system. Since then she's provided extensive support in Alfheim Online, and become a part of mine and Asuna's family. She's our daughter, in a sense, and she regards us as her parents.” Sora nods slowly.

“I see. So you brought Yui here to provide assistance. It's possible that she can help out. DCO was made with the World Seed Program, as just about every game is these days. If she can access and analyse the system programming information, she should be able to see mobs and NPCs that we can't, as well as traps, spells, and countless other in-game phenomena. That's what you're thinking isn't it?” Kirito looks surprised.

“I'm impressed. You're a sharp one.” Sora shrugs.

“I don't know about that. I've thought about the concept of using programs for that purpose, but that's always seemed like cheating to me. I might be a hacker, but I still play fairly. I'm not saying I don't want your help Yui, before you think that. If this wasn't a life or death situation, I'd pass on having that assistance, but there are 2.8 million people trapped in this game. The sooner we free them, the better. Your help could save countless lives. Besides, the main reason I never pursued the concept is that I could never wrap my head around AI. I'm not as sharp as I seem. I rely on instincts rather than intellect.” Yui perches on Kirito's shoulder.

“Daddy's the same for the most part. He can be smart sometimes, when he has time to think, but he usually only uses his instincts.” Kirito hesitates.

“I'm not sure whether I should take that as a compliment or an insult.” Sora shrugs.

“I'd say neither. It seems more like an observation than anything else. Whether you're insulted or complimented is as much about ego as it is about perception.” Kirito seems uncertain about that answer.

“Ok, I guess. So tell me something, how did you stop Yui from being deleted?” Sora pops the vertebrae in his neck.

“I changed the way the system saw her. I knew it wouldn't believe she was an ordinary player, and an NPC would be troubling, so I settled for something in between. The system believes that Yui is a Familiar. A Pixie class Familiar to be precise. She'll be able to cast magic, fight monsters, even level up. There _is_ a chance that monsters will try to attack her though. It's pretty rare, since monsters prefer to take out a Familiar's master, but it's something to watch out for. Better to be safe than sorry as they say.” Kirito looks surprised.

“Wow, that really _was_ good thinking. I figured you'd have her appear as a Player Support Program. That's how she appears in ALO, as a Navigation Pixie. To allow her to help us out to this extent, that's pretty incredible, and real fast thinking.” Sora nods, but says nothing. Kirito becomes uncomfortable, noticing that Sora seems to be staring at him rather intensely.

“Is... something wrong?” Sora shrugs again.

“Time will tell. I was analysing your race and class choices. I knew that someone famous for dual-wielding would choose to be a Two Sword Ranger, but choosing to be a Vampire is curious. True, strength and speed are natural Vampire characteristics, and ideal for a TSR, but did you think about the negatives? Not only are you vulnerable to Light spells and Silver weapons, but you'll also need to feed on Life Force on a regular basis if you want to maintain your strength. There aren't all that many mobs you can feed from, and there are only two NPC settlements in this world. You could theoretically feed from your team mates, but that would only weaken us as a whole.” Kirito looks awkward, almost embarrassed.

“We were in a hurry, so I didn't have time to think things through properly.” Sora sighs.

“I guess I have to take responsibility for that as well. I couldn't buy more than five minutes for you to join in. Well, who knows. It's possible we'll find some spell or item that will solve your feasting problem, or at least alleviate it. When we get to town, I'll take you to the blacksmith. They're the best person to see for swords.” Sora turns to Asuna next, and is instantly intrigued.

“Either you've done your homework on this game, or you've got impeccable instincts. Faerie is the best race you can choose if you want to be a Healer. Their magic is remarkably strong, and revolves largely around healing spells. High agility as well makes them capable in fights if necessary, but they lack offensive and defensive strength. They're not suitable for fighting on the front lines, but for caring for a team there's none better than a Fae Healer. You have a reputation for duelling with a Rapier as well. I might be able to help with that.” Asuna raises an eyebrow.

“Actually, I just picked what I was familiar with. If this wasn't a crisis, I would have experimented, but I can't take such a reckless risk in this instance.” Sora nods.

“A wise decision. So, who else do we have?” Sora turns to face the others, and analyses them one by one.

“Klein. The name rings a bell. You've chosen to be a Lycan Champion. That's an interesting mix. Like Kirito, you'll possess high strength and speed, as well as the same weakness to Silver weapons. Dual-wielding is not ideal for your race or class. A two-handed weapon would be better, like a Halberd. Lycans have a natural regenerative ability, just like Dragonborns and Hellbornes do. The Paladin class as a whole is good at mounted combat, and you'll be able to cast Divine spells. Watch out for Demons however. They'll be drawn to you because of your class. Watch out for Vampires too. Vampires and Lycans are sworn enemies.” Klein nods.

“Thanks for the advice. I'll try to bear that in mind.” Sora looks at the tall grizzly avatar of Agil.

“Speaking of bears, I see you've chosen to become a Beast-Person, Agil. Strength and speed seem to be a common trait here. Interesting, but lacking diversity. We could use a Juggernaut or two, but beggars can't be choosers. Beast-People have the sharpest senses of any race, and they can transform into animals at later levels. They're also remarkable craftspeople, second only to Dwarves. That could come in handy. Still, watch out for Humans, Elves and Dwarves. All three have a habit of hunting Beast-People. Choosing to be a Shield Mage is an interesting choice. I never considered taking that class role myself. I'm not cut out for defence work really, I'm too restless for it. I know someone who just might have the ideal shield for you. For now at least.” Agil nods.

“Sounds good.” Sora turns to an Elven woman with long blonde hair and green eyes, and frowns.

“Player name Leafa? I can't say with any certainty that I'm familiar with the name. Combining an Elven race with the Scout class is a wise move. Aside from Harpies and Humans, no other race is cut out for scout work. You won't be able to use a longbow like an Archer can, and your sword fighting abilities will be limited, but your perception, insight and athletics skills should be the highest here. Scouts are best used for gathering information on enemy forces, concealed routes and suspicious structures. In combat, they hold the middle ground, lacking the range for being on point, and lacking the strength for front line combat. Watch out for Drow, the Dark Elves. They hate regular Elves with a passion and will target them above all else, even when doing so endangers their own lives.” Suguha nods.

“Thanks for the heads up. I'll remember that. For the record, I'm Kirito's cousin, and an ALO veteran.” Sora nods.

“I see. So then by process of elimination, this Shade Assassin must be the QZR employee I was told about. Just like Asuna, you've picked the perfect race and class combination, Miss Cassiopeia. _That_ name rings a bell. I've watched a fair few BoB tournaments. You always make it to the final, but never further. As an observer, I can offer a suggestion: don't chase the Pistol Prince. You seem to die that much faster when you hunt him. That however, is irrelevant to the current situation. Assassins are masters of stealth, and specialise in using small one-hand weapons. Knives, daggers, crossbows, that sort of thing. Shades have high stealth scores as well, and pretty good magic abilities too. Not so hot in combat though. In battle, they're midway fighters. They don't pack enough of a punch for front line fighting, and as with Scouts, they're no good on point. Assassins also aren't so good for big brawls. One on one is fine, but Assassins are useless for mob swarms. Still, you might be able to get around a Boss' defences to hit their weak spots. In theory anyway. I'll believe it once I've seen it for myself. Watch out for Light mobs, especially Angels. Shades are Shadow Folk, so light is their worst nightmare. Aside from that, there really isn't any more advice I can give.” Cassandra looks at Sora curiously.

“You seem to know an awful lot about the races and classes of DCO. Why is that?” Sora leans against an Ash tree casually.

“I _would_ say that I did my homework on the game, but not much was actually necessary. A lot of the characteristics of the various races have been borrowed from other RPGs, and from mythology and folk tales as well. As an RPG veteran, I know much of this information already. The only new race I've encountered so far is the Shades, so I did research on _those_ prior to the game's launch. Turns out I've encountered them in other games, just under different names. As for the classes, most of it's common sense, and again there's a lot borrowed from other RPGs. I only did research on the Crusader, Champion and Shield Mage sub-classes. Specifically I wanted to know the difference between a Crusader and a Champion. Not much it seems, but Crusaders have a higher focus on Divine spells and weapons, whereas Champions are more weighted towards Strength, Athletics and Acrobatics. Aside from this, they're virtually identical on the surface.” Cassandra says no more, so Asuna takes up the slack.

“You've made an interesting choice of your own. Hellborne Sword Mage? It seems like an odd combination. Hellborne is basically a Demon right? Demons historically have always held frontline roles, using very little magic if any at all. Your appearance likewise is strange. I don't remember seeing options for such extensive customisation of one's avatar.” Sora smiles faintly.

“I'll start with the race and class combo, since that's easier to explain. I chose Hellborne for several reasons: their high strength and defence, their natural regeneration, their fire breath, and their ability to talk to Demons, primarily. It also helps that they look cool, and that at later levels they grow wings, allowing me to fly. Incidentally, Faeries are the only race capable of flight right from Level 1. As for the class: Versatility. Specialisation is a fatal flaw. Just look at what happened to the Sabre-toothed Cat. That was a specialised hunter, and went extinct along with its prey. I'm typically a frontline fighter, but being able to cast offensive and defensive spells is useful. I'm not cut out for Wizardry however. I can't stand back and chant spells all the time. I'm better off this way. My combat spells don't require incantation. They work just the same as Sword Skills in ALO, so that's ideal for me. I know a few spells that have uses outside of combat however, like the Calming Spell. Those types of spells require incantations to cast, but that's not much of a problem for me. Does that make sense now?” Asuna nods.

“It does. It's an interesting strategy you've opted for, but what about it's downsides? You lack magical resistance don't you? Light and Water spells are also more harmful to you. Those are abundant, so you could end up in a lot of pain.” Sora shrugs.

“Don't worry about me. I'm not a rookie. I won't get taken down so easily. It's true I had to sacrifice magic resistance, but I don't mind really. I've always been a highly agile player, hard to hit, so only area spells stand a chance of hitting me, which are weaker than direct-target spells. Now, you also expressed interest in my avatar's appearance. That's a little more complex. It's true that there isn't a customisation menu for altering your avatar. That's because DCO was created to be so advanced that a new rig was developed for it, while two previous ones were updated. QZR pioneered the SoulMersion rig, which is capable of accurately deciphering and translating thought patterns. It can see what you're thinking, in other words. The AmuSphere received a patch to keep up with this, while the fifth generation Medicuboid has the same features as the SoulMersion. Anyway, the thought-translation properties allowed DCO to possess a revolutionary new feature that was also one of the major selling points: Your avatar's appearance is based upon your own mental image. In other words, I look like this because that's what I see in my mind. Once the avatar is created, it cannot be altered. That's fine by me, because I like this look.” Asuna looks surprised. _This is how he sees himself? He must have quite an imagination on him. If he can create such an unusual avatar this way, then I wonder what his imagination can do in battle, or in problem solving?_ Suguha looks around.

“Wait, we're missing someone. I thought you were with Sinon?” Sora raises an eyebrow.

“Oh, so you're all acquainted? I knew she was familiar with Kirito and Asuna but... well never mind. She's patrolling at the moment. Several dozen Red Players are out in the wild. Sinon volunteered to cover me while I brought you guys here. Now that I think about it, she's been gone a while. Either she's in trouble or-” An arrow whistles through the group, cutting Sora off mid sentence, and a distant cry of pain precedes a faint thump.

“Or she's hunting someone.” Sora walks calmly to where the arrow flew, the others falling in behind him nervously. Frantic shuffling grows louder as they walk, and then there is a wooden snap. A cloaked figure stands clutching its shoulder, and they freeze at the sight of Sora and the others. Sora opens his mouth to speak, and the figure hurls a knife at him before turning and running. As Sora catches the knife, Kirito sees the blade glow yellow, and then Sora throws it back at the fleeing figure, steel screaming through the air. The blade sinks deep into the figure's left thigh, earning another cry of pain as they crash down amongst the gnarled roots. The sound of electricity crackling fills the air, accompanying much pained moaning and whimpering. Sora calmly walks over to the figure, and wrenches the knife out, twisting the blade at the same time, dropping the player's health into the red.

“If you value your life, you won't struggle. I could kill you with my little finger right now. I don't know what reason you have for becoming a Red Player, and frankly I don't care. The fact of the matter is; you're a threat. You're a threat to nearly three million people. The very same people that I'm trying to save. So, here's what's going to happen. I'm going to drag your sorry arse back to Kraler and throw you in the cells. You'll be confined until Reality Bytes is defeated, at which point you will return to the real world. I will inform the authorities of your in-game name, and you will serve jail time in real life as well. Or, you can resist me, put up a struggle, and force me to end you. I don't want to do that. Frankly I hate to even consider doing it, but if you endanger the lives of others I will be forced to terminate. So, make your decision. Life, or death.” The cloaked figure averts their gaze for a time, then sighs, defeated. He offers out a hand. Sora takes it, and hauls the figure to his feet. Kirito senses the danger too late to warn about it. There is a flash of steel and a cry of pain, from both the Red Player and from Sora. The Red Player goes limp as their health bar empties, and their body disintegrates. Branches snap and feet pound the undergrowth as someone rushes in.

“Hey! Are you alright?!” Sora turns to face the voice as Sinon bursts from through the foliage, and nods weakly.

“I think I'll be alright. It wasn't a poisoned blade luckily, but it still hurts like Hell. Damn that fool! To throw his life away like that, it defies logic! He had his whole life ahead of him, and yet he chose to forfeit it all. I will never understand the logic of these Red Players.” Sora grips the hilt of the knife that protrudes from his left side and starts to pull, before screaming in pain and releasing the hilt. The agony drives him to his knees as the world spins around him. Sinon crouches beside him.

“What's wrong? You need to remove the knife before it kills you!” Sora shakes his head.

“I can't! It's been enchanted... to block removal. I-I need to find a Wizard. I need a... Spell Breaker before I can... extract the knife. Trying to... remove it now will... only kill me. The spell is overloading... my pain receptors. If... If I try to take it out again, the neural load will burn out my brain, and it'll kill me.” Sora tenses up as pain lances through again, his health dropping into the yellow and still falling.

“Argh! Damn! I-I don't know if I... if I can make it. Kraler's pretty far... the knife goes deep. I just... I'm not strong enough yet. I... I have to try though. I-I can't give up. Not when everyone here needs me. I-” Sora is silenced by the pain as it burns his veins, narrowing his vision. He feels a creeping chill starting to set in, and he starts to tremble. Tiny wings flutter rapidly as Yui hovers above the knife, examining it closely.

“I see. It's not what you think it is. The spell that has been placed on this knife is called Vector Reversal. When you try to pull it out, the blade digs in deeper. So to remove it, you need to push in.” Sora nods weakly, unable to speak. He grips the knife loosely and starts pushing in. True to Yui's analysis, the blade starts pushing itself out, sliding through Sora's loosely closed fist. He continues pushing, gritting his teeth as the serrated blade cuts him, further depleting his health, until the tip of the knife breaks contact with him. Only then does Sora pull away, the Vector Reversal Spell no longer functioning. He drops the knife on the ground, then numbly navigates through his menus, opening up his inventory. He extracts a Potion of Healing, and drinks it, restoring his health. Even then, the trembling doesn't stop, and the nausea remains. He sits with his knees drawn up close, head resting against crossed arms for a few minutes. Eventually, he speaks again.

“That's one experience I'd prefer _not_ to relive. I hate to admit it, but I nearly went into shock there. I underestimated what having the safety systems deactivated truly meant. It's more than just the capacity to die in the real world because you die in here. With pain being entirely uninhibited, it's possible to die _without_ being killed here. If you experience enough pain, you can go into shock and die. There aren't many ways to die that are as bad as that, but this game has become the place to experience those particular Hells. All it takes is a twisted mind. Getting trapped in here has already twisted many minds, and the longer we're stuck here, the more minds that will break and become deranged. The population of Red Players is going to increase. I just hope we can eliminate Reality Bytes before it's too late.” Sinon crouches beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. She speaks to him softly, calmly, her voice soothing Sora.

“Are you going to be alright? I don't want to rush you, but we shouldn't linger here any longer than we need to. You and I are the only ones with weapons. We've got to get to a Safe Zone before any more Red Players find us.” Sora stands slowly, experimentally. He sways slightly, dizziness and nausea throwing off his balance. He places a hand against his head and looks around, gauging his condition.

“I should be alright soon enough. The anger I feel is levelling me out, in a way. I'm not angry with that Red Player, but with myself. That was naïve of me, to trust that he wouldn't try to take me out with a coward's attack. If I'd died, he would have gained a powerful weapon which would have allowed him to kill countless more. I should have been more cautious. I suppose it's pointless thinking about that now though. In a way, I actually welcome an attack right now. Faced with a fight, I'd be able to get my game face on again, and focus my mind once more. Twisted, isn't it?” Sinon shakes her head.

“Not at all. I know exactly what you mean. I had a similar experience during the Death Gun killings. The prospect of a life-or-death battle only served to calm my nerves rather than strain them. Still, I'd prefer it if you didn't have to fight again so soon. Especially when we're so vulnerable at the moment.” Sora thinks for a moment.

“Actually, I might be able to do something about that. It's not much, but I have a few weapons on me that I can part with, even if only temporarily. They're not brilliant, but they're better than nothing. I don't have enough for everyone here though. I have a longsword, two hatchets, and a knife that I can spare. Two of you will have to go without for the time being. Once we get back to town, you guys can load up on weapons and armour.” He opens up his inventory, taking out the weapons he listed. Kirito steps forwards and takes the longsword, feeling the weight of it.

“This isn't too bad. Heavier than I normally use, and I prefer one hand to hand-and-a-half, but I can work with this.” Klein takes the knife.

“This takes me back. I haven't used a knife like this one since I first played SAO. It's a pretty good knife by my standards. The balance is perfect.” Agil and Cassiopeia take a hatchet each, leaving Suguha and Asuna unarmed. Sora draws his Estoc and holds it out in his right hand, testing his grip, and getting a feel for the fatigue in his arm. _Hmm, worse than I was expecting. Speed attacks will be impossible for the time being, and my strength is lacking. I'll have to rely on Sword Skills and defensive magic until my recovery is complete_.

“Alright. I'll lead the way back to town. Sinon, I'd like to have you on point with Agil. You two have the best hearing, so it'll be next to impossible to sneak up on you. Leafa, I'd like you up front with me. As a Scout, your eyesight will be almost as sharp as Sinon's is. You'll be able to spot hostiles long before I do. I need you to cover my shortfall so that I can try and protect the group. The biggest threats we face on the journey back are Red Players and Kobolds. In case you've never fought them before; Kobolds are little Goblin-like creatures, often referred to as 'Scaly Devils'. They attack in groups, using their speed and short stature to harass their prey. They fight with knives, short swords and hatchets. Occasionally, some use spears. They're not worth much in the way of XP, but they tend to carry a decent amount of gold, and occasionally drop valuable items. Stay sharp out there. We may only be about three hundred metres from town, but that doesn't mean we're safe. Even in town, PKing is possible. Don't let your guard down unless I say otherwise. Understood? Then let's move out. From this point onwards, the Rescue Operation is fully underway.”


	3. Nebula the God Slayer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that the Rescue Team has been assembled, preparations for saving the hostages can get under way. The newcomers will need equipment however, weapons and armour to survive in this world. Sora also requires information from a mischievous and flirtatious friend. Over the course of events, Sinon makes two very shocking discoveries about Sora, discoveries that explain his personality and strengthen her resolve to help him. But what else about Sora remains hidden? What other secrets lay hidden behind his mask of confidence?

**March 2nd 2030 – 0907 JST**

Sora, Sinon and the others peruse the many stalls of Kraler's market square, browsing the wares. While the new arrivals purchase weapons and armour, Sinon keeps a close eye on Sora, watching over him as he speaks to a guild leader. _He seems to be holding up well now. Looking at him, I can't believe that he came so close to death. Twice. I'm still in shock that it could have happened at all. This is the man who bested me to win the Bullet of Bullets for the five hundredth time in a row, and the man who cleared the eleven most difficult floors of Aincrad by himself. While the first time he was brought to the brink of death was of his own volition, the second time was not. Did he seriously misjudge the Red Player? Given the situation we're in, it's possible. I've seen how Sora plays after all. He has a 'fast and loose' attitude. He tends to be reckless and impulsive in battle, but that's probably because he knows that he can always re-spawn and try again. Now that the world he was once a master of has shattered around him, and the re-spawn is no longer an option, it seems that his judgement has yet to adapt. He's still too reckless, too naïve, and that could get him killed. I guess that's why he was so shocked, and why he's so angry with himself. He hadn't adapted to the situation, and paid a severe price because of it. I hope he's learned his lesson now. Not just for his sake, but for all our sakes. We need him. We need the VR Nightmare to be at his best if we're to get out of here quickly, and in one piece._ Sinon stands straighter as Sora's conversation seems to come to an end. The guild leader bows and leaves. Sora wanders back to Sinon, who looks enquiringly at him.

“Something going on?” Sora nods.

“You could say that. I was just getting an update on the situation in town. There's currently 14,017 guilds in operation. At present, precisely fourteen thousand are staying in town, either to work on its development or else simply to defend it. The other seventeen have made the decision to start working their way to the Tower of the Gods. They left at dawn. Several groups of guilds have been sent out into the local wilderness to level up. Some have even headed towards the Tower of Kraler, which we'll be heading to later today. A total of ninety six Red Players were arrested over the course of the night, and currently reside within Kraler Prison. They'll be held there indefinitely. Six guilds are currently guarding the prison to ensure there are no jailbreaks. Morale in town isn't great, but there doesn't seem to be any despair at the moment. Looks like my Calming Spell really did the trick. Apart from that, there isn't really anything to tell. Oh, but I heard that some guy called Skyward Hunter has been looking for you. A friend of yours?” Sinon shudders.

“He wishes. Skyward Hunter is just some pervert from a guild I joined last night, before this nightmare began. I don't really want to know what he wants, and I don't care either. I made my decision already.” Sora leans against a wooden post.

“I see. Well, chances are it isn't that important anyway. If it was something relating to your guild, it'd be the guild leader looking for you, not the pervert. If he happens to find you, we can tell him that you have a more important commitment to attend to. If he starts acting up, I can always hurt him. I _can_ hurt him can't I?” Sinon laughs at this.

“Well, I hope it doesn't come to _that_. He might be a creep, but getting into a fight with you is a little extreme. Then again, after seeing you take out those Lizardmen last night, I doubt he'll want to fight you.” Sora raises an eyebrow.

“Oh, so _he's_ Skyward Hunter? That Harpy Infiltrator? Yeah, he'd have to be pretty stupid to fight me. Hellborne are superior to Harpies. His attacks aren't that effective against me, whereas my Keen Thunder-burst Estoc would utterly destroy him. Harpies are vulnerable to Thunder attacks after all. Even holding back I'd probably cripple him in one hit. There's also the level difference. He was a level 3 when I saw him. I doubt he's higher than a Level 4 right now. And all of that's without considering the skill difference.” Sinon glances at Sora, and notices something that's been bugging her for the past two hours.

“There's something I've been meaning to ask. Why has you game name changed?” Sora nods towards Kirito and the others, who haggle with a merchant selling potions.

“I don't want them knowing who I am. I said the same thing to QZR Studios a few hours ago. I don't want them to get their hopes up. Despite what people say, I'm not a God. I learned that the painful way. I _can_ die here. If they know who I am, they'll get overconfident, make a mistake assuming that I'll be able to save them, and they'll die. I already have a lot of blood on my hands. I don't want my name and reputation to be the cause of any more deaths. So, a change of name became necessary.” Sinon nods.

“I understand that part, but your name is just a little bit... I don't know. Boring I guess, don't you think? Why choose _that_?” Sora looks distant.

“I didn't really have the luxury of time. I just settled for the first name that I could come up with that hadn't already been taken. QZR Studios have been calling me by that name, apparently. There is another reason... but now's not the time to get into it.” Sinon glances at Sora curiously, noticing his evasiveness. _That's an interesting response. Why so evasive? Is there something special about the name 'Nebula' then?_ A snort attracts Sinon's attention. Sora stands looking at a heavily bearded Dwarf, trying to hold back laughter.

“Olden McGroin huh? Now there's a classic name I haven't heard in a while. Certainly a better alias than Joseph Stalin.” The Dwarf looks mildly surprised.

“You get the reference? That's good to know. The classics seem to be getting forgotten at a disturbing rate these days. It's a shame, because they also happen to be timeless. Did you know, when I was at school, no-one knew who Elvis Presley was?” Sora shakes his head sadly.

“That's just disgraceful. Kids these days. If it's more than a week old, it's considered ancient and obsolete. Not worth knowing about. I doubt they could tell you a single movie starring Clint Eastwood, or Al Pacino. Hell, I doubt they could even name a single band, song, movie or TV program from the 90's.” Olden sighs.

“I doubt they could even tell you when the 90's even were. It's as if everything in the past ceases to exist.” Sora nods.

“I hear you brother. Well, it was nice to speak with someone in touch with true art. Stay alive Olden. The world needs people like you and me.” Olden nods.

“The same to you Starbuck. Say hi to Apollo for me.” Sora chuckles as the Dwarf walks off, leaving Sinon confused.

“I have no idea what just happened. Anyway, aren't you a little young to be giving it the 'kids these days' talk?” Sora thinks about this.

“Perhaps. At seventeen years old, I guess many would still call me a kid. Even so, I know about the classics, and I can appreciate them for their timeless quality. You won't find that in the legitimate kids of this day and age.” Sinon raises an eyebrow.

“You're only seventeen? I thought you were older than that.” Sora shrugs.

“I get that a lot. Technically you're right. I'm seventeen and two months. And a few days. December 21st 2012. That's when I was born, and yes, that was the precise date the Mayans allegedly predicted that the world would end. I always resented that. All through Elementary school people referred to me as 'End-of-the-world Boy'. Arseholes.” Sinon nods.

“Kids can be pretty stupid. Still, it sounds like they grew up around Middle School, right?” Sora looks pained.

“I wouldn't know. After... After the SAO incident, I was taken out of school to study at home. A lot of things happened during those two years, not just for the players but for those outside the game as well. Countless lives were turned upside down by it. In a way, I understand what Reality Bytes are trying to do. However, they're idiots. They're blaming Virtual Reality for what happened. Would you blame a gun if your parents were shot dead? Of course not, because it's the person who pulled the trigger who killed them, not the gun. The gun is just a means to an end. The same with VR and SAO. It was the Player Killers, the monsters, and the initial panic that claimed SAO's victims. If anyone is to blame there, it's Akihiko Kayaba. Strangely, Reality Bytes don't seem to hate him, only VR. When I get my hands on those bastards, I'll be sure to beat that point into them.” Sinon looks at Sora anxiously, wondering if the question she's about to ask is going too far.

“You lost someone didn't you? In SAO?” Sora answers sharply, an edge of pain to his voice.

“I don't want to talk about that now!” He hesitates, breathing heavily.

“I'm sorry. That's a sore subject. I don't mean to keep secrets or anything, but there are some things I just can't discuss. This is one of them. When I'm ready to discuss it, you'll be the first person I talk to. You have my word on that, but for now it's no good. I need to focus on the task at hand. No distractions. Too many lives depend on us for that.” Sinon wants to say more, but Klein calls Sora over.

“Hey Nebula! Let me borrow your brain for a second.” Sora wanders over, leaving Sinon behind. She stares sadly after him. _I knew it. He lost someone to SAO. A sibling? A parent? A friend? He would only have been between nine and eleven years old at the time, depending on when exactly they died. He's carried the weight of that loss since an early age, and for nearly half of his life. I always wondered why he seemed so grown up. It's because his childhood was stolen from him. At the same time, that's also why he tends to be a bit childish at times. He's trying to reclaim some of that lost youth. I shouldn't have been so tactless in asking. It was a mistake, one I'll apologise for later_. Sora joins Klein and the others at a weapon merchant.

“What's up? You need my noodle for something?” Klein nods.

“It's these weapons, or rather, keywords in their descriptions. Like, what's the difference between a Keen weapon and a Fine weapon?” Sora glances at all of the weapons being sold at this stall.

“Keen weapons have a higher Critical Hit probability. 'Keen' is just an identifier for weapons with a bonus to that probability. Standard weapons have varying odds of landing a critical hit, up to a probability of 40% for the Rapier. The 'Keen' modifier adds an extra 25% onto that probability, so a Rapier ends up with a 65% chance of scoring a critical hit. Weapons such as the Rapier, Estoc, Scimitar, Katana and Claymore are considered 'High Crit' weapons, so these are the best ones to get a Keen variant of. My Estoc is just such a weapon. Estocs have a 30% crit probability, but mine is a Keen Estoc, bumping me up to 55% probability. 'Fine' is another identifier. It means that the weapon is better crafted than standard weapons. As such, Fine weapons have double the base damage score of standard weapons. Take that club there. It's base damage score is 10-15 hit points. If it were a Fine Club, it's base damage score would be 20-30 hit points. There are other identifiers like these two. 'Masterwork' weapons are the next stage up from Fine weapons, and deal four times the base damage of a standard weapon. 'Lancinating' is the next stage up from 'Keen' and adds 50% to your crit probability, so a Lancinating Rapier would have a 90% probability of landing a critical hit. Then there's identifiers for the materials used in constructing the weapons. Staves, clubs and bows also feature Runewood and Soulwood variants. Runewood weapons offer four times the base damage score of the standard, while Soulwood offers eight times that score. Swords, knives, daggers, axes, pole-arms, and war-hammers have Adamantine and Aetherite variants, which offer the same respective base damage boosts. There is one more kind of identifier, known as the elemental identifier. These determine the element type of the weapon, and any special effects it has. The ones I know about are Flame-burst, Thunder-burst, Icy-Burst, Wounding, Vorpal, Hydro-burst, Spirit-burst, Light-burst, Shadow-burst and Terra. The '-burst' weapons all generate a localised burst of that particular element, which usually targets nearby opponents as well as the one you attacked with the chosen weapon. My Estoc is a Thunder-burst weapon. When I attack a monster, the two closest to it get hit with a bolt of lightning. Wounding weapons poison enemies. Terra weapons can be used to control earth, rocks or trees to some degree, but I've never seen it in action, so I can't estimate what they'll do. Vorpal weapons are the odd ones out. They don't have a special effect. 'Vorpal' only applies to swords, and only the two-handed or high crit variety. Vorpal swords are the sharpest swords of them all. They can cut through Dragon-skin as easily as a Katana cuts through a leaf. They never dull, never break, and are next to impossible to find. They don't have a Keen or Lancinating variety, because their base crit probability is 95%. You have to be at least Level 75 to wield one. Trying to use one under that level will result in you suffering severe injury, so don't even try. If you find a Vorpal weapon, hold onto it until you can use it, and then when you can: don't hold back.” Klein nods slowly, trying to keep up with Sora's explanation.

“I think I see. So then, your weapon is a Keen Thunder-burst Estoc? That sounds pretty hardcore. I'm trying to figure out what weapon to buy here. I usually use a Katana, but I don't see one for sale.” Sora shakes his head.

“And you won't. Not at an NPC merchant stall anyway. You'd have to find a player with the right smithing skills. Either that, or wait until we reach Elasmeer. There's a Katana Emporium in the city. For now though... hmm.” Sora looks closely at the weapons, before indicating a slender Scimitar.

“I think this is probably the closest to a Katana. Narrower blade than a typical Scimitar. This is a Keen Wounding Scimitar +2. The +2 is just a base score bonus equal to the number. The highest modifier in this game is a +25. There are also base multipliers, up to a x5. Those are extremely rare, as you might imagine.” Klein thinks this over.

“So, it's a Scimitar, meaning it's a high crit weapon. Being a Keen weapon, it has an extra 25% crit probability, and being a Wounding weapon means that it'll poison enemies.” Sora nods.

“That's right, though I should mention that these effects only occur on a critical hit. Scimitars have a base crit probability of 25%, so this one will have a 50% crit probability in total. The base damage score is 18-25 hit points. On a Critical Hit, that jumps to 54-75 hit points, and will poison the target.” Klein looks impressed, and purchases the sword. He draws the blade and swings experimentally, getting a feel for weight and balance.

“This isn't bad. The balance is a little different to what I'm used to, and the arse end is heavier than I expected, but overall this is a pretty good sword. You've got a good eye.” Sora shrugs.

“I do what I can with what I've got. You gave me plenty to work with, the rest just came down to instinct. I tend to have good judgement when it comes to pairing players with weapons, so that sword ought to work out well for you.” Agil looks at Sora curiously.

“I've had a question I've been meaning to ask you. You seem to have a lot of experience with VR games. Just how long have you been playing?” Sora thinks about this.

“Hmm... If my memory serves, I first stepped into the virtual world about seven years ago, during the SAO Incident, though I've been playing RPGs since 2019. Aside from a few short breaks, I've played VRMMOs pretty consistently. Most of my experience comes from Alfheim Online and Gun Gale Online. I've spent a lot of time in both, but I've played other games as well. None of those compare to ALO and GGO though. There are times when I'm in the virtual world longer than the real one. Building up this kind of knowledge is to be expected. Even when I'm not diving, I'm usually surfing the web, doing research on games like this one. I've been keeping a pretty close eye on DCO ever since it was announced. I know as much about this game as the Beta Testers do, maybe more. The only ones who know more about it are the people who developed it.” Agil nods.

“I see. You said you play ALO. You ever go to Aincrad?” Sora nods.

“Sometimes. I'm in and out of there. In the original Alfheim world, I tend to hang out in Jötunheimr or in Spriggan territory. In Aincrad, I can usually be found on Floor 22 or Floor 55.” Asuna looks over at Sora at this point.

“Floor 22? Kirito and I own a cabin there.” Sora nods again.

“I know. Sinon told me. I think I've seen it actually. I tend to hang out by the lake. It's a good fishing spot, and I like lying back on the grass and watching the clouds float by.” Kirito looks curiously at Sora.

“You and Sinon have met before? I was under the impression you only met here a few hours ago.” Sora shakes his head.

“No, we've actually crossed paths in GGO a few times. We've fought against each other in several BoB tournaments, but we didn't actually get to talking until about two weeks ago. Turns out we both like the same bar. While talking about ALO, my hangouts came up, and Sinon told me about the cabin. We happened to run into each other again here about a minute before Reality Bytes struck. After the chaos had ended, we agreed to team up and see if we could save everyone here.” Kirito looks intrigued, but says nothing more. Sora looks about expectantly, but no other questions are forthcoming.

“Alright then, next agenda. Ah yes, the blacksmith. We need a Rapier for Asuna, a better longsword for Kirito, and for Agil...” Sora examines Agil for a moment before continuing.

“I'm thinking Bastard Sword and Heater Shield combo. You're a Shield Mage after all, so it makes sense. The blacksmith's a bit pricey, but the best one to see for specialist weaponry. Follow me.” Sora leads the way from the marketplace, Sinon and the others falling into step behind him. They walk through narrow alleyways for a while, before emerging in the heart of town. Sora stops and turns to the others.

“Unfortunately, we have to cross right through the middle. Keep a close eye on your money bags. There's been hundreds of cases of pickpocketing since the sun went up today. If you catch one, don't go easy on them. I'm not saying cut their hands off, but hurt them just enough that they get the picture. We need to help each other out, not rob each other blind.” The others all nod, and stick close to Sora as they set out across the town square. There are many people here. Tens of thousands of them. It is impossible to walk through without bumping into someone. As the group is jostled about, hands staying close to money bags, Sora suddenly grabs the arm of a youngish Halfling boy and twists it sharply. The Halfling cries out in pain and starts whimpering.

“Let go of the pouch, and I'll let go of you. It's as easy as that. Alternatively, you can hang on, try desperately to take what doesn't belong to you, and I can break your arm in seven places. So, what's it going to be?” The boy's grip relaxes, letting go of the pouch. As Sora relaxes his grip as well, there is a flash of steel. Again, Kirito is too late spotting it to warn Sora, but it isn't necessary. Sora tightens his grip again and twists sharply three times, a crunching sound accompanying each twist, while his Parrying Dagger blocks the curved knife only a few centimetres from Sora's right side. With a flick of the wrist, Sora disarms the boy, but still holds onto his broken arm, the pain from doing so driving the boy to the ground. He sheaths the Parrying Dagger, and reaches into his pouch, extracting a small blue crystal.

“A tip from someone older and wiser: pick your targets more carefully. A Level 8 Hellborne is just about the worst target you can choose at this stage of the game. For the record, there's no money in that pouch, just Teleportation crystals. I found a cave with a chest containing more than two dozen of these crystals. Quite the find, but I had to deal with a lot of Slimes to get to that chest. I'm not complaining of course. I levelled up twice after all. Now, that's enough talking. There's only one place to send a pickpocket.” Sora hauls the boy back onto his feet and presses the crystal into his chest.

“Teleport: Kraler Jail.” Sora lets go of the boy, who vanishes in a blue flash.

“I hope that kid's parents give him a good spanking when he gets out of here. Pickpocketing at his age, they'd be so disappointed in him.” Sora shakes his head, then resumes walking. No-one else jostles the group as they walk across the square. They all saw what happened, and give Sora a wide berth. As such, the group makes it across the square without further incident, and walk along a wide street with trees and flowers growing in the middle. They don't have far to walk, before Sora stops outside of a grand wooden house, three stories high. Sora enters first, and the others follow. A counter sits opposite the door, and behind it stands a tall young woman. Her chestnut hair is tied back in a ponytail that reaches her lower back, and a hair clip keeps her bangs out of her deep green eyes. Her fair skin and dreamy expression make her look like a teenager, though her bust states otherwise. She recognises Sora.

“Ah, good morning. You're the Hellborne who purchased my Keen Thunder-burst Estoc. Is it working out well for you? You haven't damaged it I hope?” Sora shakes his head.

“No, not at all. The Estoc is remarkable, and serving me well. It allowed me to defeat a half dozen Lizardmen who tried to sneak into town. Whatever they were after, they can search for it in Hell.” The woman nods.

“Well said. So, what brings you back here?” Sora indicates to his companions.

“My friends here are in need of some weapons, and the marketplace has a scant selection. I recommended they come here, since your swords are the best in town.” The woman smiles faintly.

“A wise decision. So, which of your friends require my craft, and what type of swords do they seek?” Sora indicates to them in turn.

“This is Asuna. She seeks a Rapier, light but not too light. Speed is essential, but a lack of weight will result in a lack of power. Next to her is Kirito. He seeks a longsword, preferably one-handed to allow for Dual-wielding. Finally we have Agil, who I feel would benefit from combining a Bastard Sword with a Heater Shield. Everyone, this is Marion Cross. She runs this establishment, and she is, as I maintain, the best blacksmith in town.” The group nods to Marion, who gazes closely at the three Sora indicated.

“I see. I'm sure I have what you require. If you would wait here a moment.” Marion disappears into a back room. Kirito sidles up to Sora.

“Flirting with the blacksmith are we? You wouldn't be the first to have a crush on an NPC.” Sora looks at Kirito sardonically.

“First of all, I wasn't flirting. She really _is_ the best blacksmith. She uses high grade Carbon Steel, something no other blacksmith does. Her swords are lighter, stronger and more durable as a result. Secondly, she's not my type.” Kirito raises an eyebrow.

“Oh? So what's wrong with her?” Sora faces forwards again.

“She's married. You should also know that her husband is a Vampire slayer. This house is rigged with enough traps to kill a thousand Vampires. You might want to bear that in mind. She's only being civil with you because I said you're a friend. If we weren't together, she'd have activated the traps. You should take that into consideration before trying to tease me. Besides, she's technically a non-combatant. She comes across as being strong, but according to the DCO website, she plays the Damsel in Distress role in one of the quests. I don't like that. I don't mind playing the hero every once in a while, but I prefer a girl who can take care of herself if need be. And that's all you're getting out of me at this stage. The only person who knows my type is Vince.” Sinon joins the conversation.

“The bartender of The Buckshot?” Sora nods.

“We _are_ friends after all. The topic of our conversations has a habit of turning to girls sooner or later. Usually his many in-game wives, but occasionally we talk about the girls in my life. Especially if they follow me around to try talking to me.” Sinon frowns.

“What's that supposed to mean?” Sora glances at her.

“Did you ever stop to wonder why the Buckshot Bar was empty that day? Despite the occasional bad review from jaded arseholes and spiteful pricks, that bar's usually quite busy.” Sinon thinks back on this. _He's right. I don't know why I never noticed it at the time, but we had the whole bar to ourselves. I remember now_.

“Wait, so what are you saying exactly? Are you the reason the bar was empty?” Sora nods.

“That's right. Well, you _did_ tell Vince you were planning on talking to me after that last tournament. When I found out you'd been tailing me for a while, I decided to make it easy on you. I asked Vince to tell everyone he'd be closed that day. Everyone except you of course. It's easier to talk when it's quiet, and when there aren't a hundred drunk people getting rowdy.” Sinon sighs.

“I should have seen that coming.” Sora shakes his head.

“Impossible. You didn't know me back then, and you didn't know I was friends with Vince, or that he's told me about every time you inquire after me. Well, ever since I first mentioned you that is. About three years ago now I think. That was when we first crossed paths in the Bullet of Bullets.” Sinon thinks for a moment.

“Yeah, that's right. After you shot me in the head. How did that happen anyway? I didn't even see you.” Sora looks a bit awkward at this.

“Actually, that happened by accident. I didn't see you either. Not right away. You were so still I seriously thought you were a statue, until you moved. I don't normally play when I'm that tired, and I haven't done since. When you moved, you made me jump. I seriously thought you'd seen me and that you were going to kill me, and then you died. Took me about a minute to realise I'd shot at you. I didn't have time to feel bad about that. Two guys came at me with Photon Swords. Really, who brings a sword to a gun fight? Well, anyway, after the tournament I was talking to Vince, and I told him about accidentally shooting you. That's when I learned your name, and that you'd won the 3rd BoB with Kirito here. Present Grenade wasn't it?” Sinon hesitates.

“Um, yeah. That's right. It didn't seem right that either of us should kill the other after we defeated Death Gun as a team, so the obvious solution was a Present Grenade.” Cassandra tuts.

“Can you two just fuck and get it over with?” Sora glares at her, and speaks with a coldness that surprises Sinon.

“Problem? You wishing that I was talking to you instead? That it?” Cassandra glares at Sora.

“You don't seem to be taking this seriously, Nebula. What's with the name anyway?” Sora shrugs.

“Does it matter? It's just a name. And you're wrong. About me not taking this seriously. If I wasn't, I wouldn't have risked my life to cast a spell that stopped more than two and a half million people from killing each other in a panicked frenzy. That kind of decision cannot be made lightly, by someone who cannot handle situations seriously. I've risked my life for these people, and I've even been forced to take lives for them as well. What have you done? Nothing, that's what. If you don't like the way I do things then fuck off. Find another group and bitch to them. Oh but you won't do that, will you? You need to stay. Don't think I don't know why you're here. QZR Studios don't trust me. They think I'm just a member of Reality Bytes luring in some celebrities to get their message across. Apparently gambling with my life wasn't enough to clear my name. I guess that means I have to put up with you until I eliminate Reality Bytes and free everyone trapped here. That seems to be the only way to prove that I'm not a threat. Well, fine. Do that. Just quit your complaining. I have enough problems to deal with as it is.” Cassandra looks to respond hotly, but she is interrupted by the return of Marion, who carries three swords and a shield.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. I believe that these will suit your needs best. First of all is the Rapier. That's a Keen Fine Rapier of Defence +2, the best I have. The total length of the sword is 103 centimetres. The blade is ninety centimetres long and and three centimetres wide, except for at the top ten centimetres which taper inwards to form the tip. The hilt is thirteen centimetres in length, and of the Swept-hilt design. The wire wrap has been covered with Drake skin for durability, and to allow better use in cold climates. The weight of the sword is one and a half kilograms. The centre of balance is three centimetres from the hilt. The scabbard is made of Runewood. Is it to your liking, Asuna?” Asuna steps forwards and takes the sword, drawing it from the scabbard. She holds it out, feeling the weight balance, then slashes experimentally, getting a feel for the blade. She sheaths the sword with a satisfied nod.

“It's a remarkable sword. The balance is far better than what I'm used to, and the sword isn't as heavy as I usually use either. That's good. A heavy sword tends to get tiring. With this, I'll be able to fight for much longer.” Marion nods.

“Excellent. Now for the Longsword. Finding one that is purely one-handed wasn't easy. I rarely make such a sword since I rarely find anyone who wants that, but I think this might be the best. A Fine Wounding Longsword +1. Because it was designed for one-handed use, the blade is shorter than a typical longsword, measuring just eighty-five centimetres. Double-edged naturally, and featuring a central blood groove on each side. The blade is seven centimetres wide at the base and gradually tapers to the tip. The cruciform hilt measures fifteen centimetres in length, with a weighted pommel to counterbalance the blade. The grip has been wrapped with the skin of a Dusk Unicorn, so any magic you combine with the sword will be strengthened, but only slightly. Centre of balance is five centimetres from the hilt, and a Runewood scabbard as well. What do you think, Kirito?” Kirito steps forwards and takes the sword. He swings it about vigorously.

“This is good. It's got the same balance as my old Dark Repulser. Dual-wielding with this sword will be pretty easy.” Marion nods.

“Wonderful. That just leaves the Bastard Sword and the Heater Shield. That's a Masterwork Flaming-burst Bastard Sword. The 120 centimetre blade is serrated, with a Broad Fuller cross-section. Eight centimetres wide at the base with a gradual taper. The cruciform hilt is twenty centimetres in length and features a jewelled weighted pommel to counterbalance the blade. That's Dragon skin for the wrap as well, making it fireproof. As for the shield, that's a Adamantine Heater Shield. Adamantine's hard to get around here, and not cheap either. Forging with it is a dream however. The shield is eighty centimetres long from the top stud down to the bottom, and fifty centimetres wide from the left stud across to the right. Four studs in total made from Carbon Steel in the event of offensive use, not that I recommend it. The shield is also five centimetres thick. Being Adamantine, it's very light, weighing only two kilograms, which is next to nothing for a shield that size. It has remarkable strength and durability, doesn't rust, and conducts neither heat nor electricity. As shields go, you won't find better this side of Elasmeer I reckon, save maybe for at Skye Castle, but that hasn't been seen for a thousand years. What say you, Agil?” Agil steps forwards and takes the items. He uses the shield with his left hand, looking amazed by its lightness, and experiments with the sword in his right hand, demonstrating remarkable skill.

“This exceeds my expectations. I've never encountered shields as light as this, save for wooden Bucklers. I'll be able to block effortlessly, and strike back with the sword.” Marion nods.

“That's what I like to hear. Now for the painful part: payment. All together, the swords and the shield come to twenty thousand gold coins. The fastenings I'll add in for free.” Sora steps forwards, knowing exactly why Kirito, Asuna and Agil suddenly hesitate.

“Don't just stand there like lemons. I'll cover your shortfall, just pay the rest. You can pay me back later if you really feel inclined to do so.” Sora pays five thousand coins before the other three can say anything. They sigh in unison, and each pay five thousand gold coins as well. Marion smiles broadly.

“A pleasure doing business with you. May your new swords serve you well in your adventures. Should you need new weapons, my door is always open.” Sora nods.

“I'll remember that. Thank you once again Marion. Okay then people, let's get a move on. I have another errand to run before we depart town.” Sora leads the way outside, and the others follow, after a moment of stunned hesitation. Kirito jogs to catch up with Sora, who speaks first, apparently anticipating Kirito's question.

“Players start with seven thousand gold coins, and you three bought the exact same equipment. I've got prices for half this town's inventory memorised, so working out what you each had left and how much you'd be short was a piece of cake. Incidentally, Marion's supplies are among the items that I _don't_ have the price memorised for. Then again, she usually makes custom orders, so that's to be expected. Still, I knew I'd have enough to cover you. It doesn't dent my budget so don't start freaking out either. Remember, I played solo and power levelled for a while to begin with. I made quite a lot of money in that time. As long as the total came to less than fifty thousand, I could cover you.” Asuna walks on the other side of Sora.

“You're well prepared. A surplus of funds, in addition to being Level 8 already. I don't doubt that you have a considerable inventory of potions and other items as well. Are you always this well prepared?” Sora nods.

“I am. It's best to start preparing as soon as possible. It'll pay back dividends later on in the game. I've learned that from experience. Besides, I was originally going to see if the claims of this game being impossible for solo players were really true. I've encountered games that have made bold claims before. A few games I played said that clearing Level 1 is impossible, and then I do it in twenty minutes. It's usually just a matter of being smart, and thinking outside the box. Developers can't think of every possibility. I like to try and think of everything that they haven't. When Reality Bytes struck, I was coming back to make preparations for storming the Tower. I think I'm a high enough level to get started at least. I was going to check it out, see just how difficult it really was, and try my luck anyway. If I got beaten, it wouldn't have been a big deal, and I would have joined a guild instead. I would have done that by now, and we probably would have cleared the Tower. That's life for you. Just when you're about to make ends meet, someone moves the ends.” Klein speaks up, looking around the tree-lined street with confusion.

“So, where are we headed anyway?” Sora glances at him.

“The Dragon's Head Tavern. I don't like doing business out in the open like this. I also need to speak with an Information Broker. They're more reliable for the type of information I'm after than any of the guild leaders. Lastly, I need a drink. It's been a long day, and it's not over yet. Not by a long shot.” The group follows Sora along tree-lined streets for quite some time, before they emerge at a sizeable two-storey building. It looks big enough to house at least five hundred people, with room to spare. The weathered stone walls and antique wooden timbers suggest an age of decades, if not centuries, and all the windows are stained glass. A black sign with brilliant gold lettering identifies the building as the Dragon's Head Tavern. Outside the tavern stands a single person; a Harpy with pure white feathers. The Harpy spots the group, and marches towards them, speaking directly to Sinon.

“There you are Sinon! I've been searching for you for hours. Come on, we need to get back to the others. They need your help.” Sinon stands her ground.

“No can do Skyward Hunter. I've joined another guild. We have a much more important mission. We're going to take on Reality Bytes. You'll have to do without me.” Skyward Hunter looks sceptical.

“Bullshit! You haven't joined another guild. Your icon is still that of the Moon Sword Alliance. Look, stop playing around and come on! We don't have the time to waste on games.” Sora places a hand on Sinon's shoulder.

“She's not coming with you. I believe Sinon's made that clear already. The icon is just a misunderstanding. In all the commotion, she hasn't remembered to leave your alliance. That can be rectified in a matter of seconds. Regardless, she _has_ joined us, and she _will_ be accompanying us to take on Reality Bytes. Find someone else to help you out.” Skyward Hunter glares at Sora.

“Oh, so it's you again. What, you speak for Sinon now? Dream on. What did you think would happen here? That you would tell me to jog on and I'd obey, that it? You seriously think that being a Level 8 makes you better than me don't you? You're nothing special. I can kill Lizardmen too. Hell, I've seen Level 2s do that. You might have some fancy moves, but that doesn't make any difference. Not one bit. As long as she's in my alliance, she's coming with me. Got that hotshot?” Sora stares Skyward Hunter down.

“Is that so? I don't like the way you're treating Sinon. She's not your property. She's made it clear she doesn't want to go with you, but you don't seem to respect that. I can't say I agree with that, so what say we settle this with a duel? If I win, Sinon stays with us. If you win, Sinon goes with you. No questions asked. Since there's a level gap between us, it won't be fair to use my Estoc. It's a Thunder-burst weapon, so I could kill you in one hit. Instead, I'll remove my sword, and fight with just Bruce, and Matilda.” Sora raises his left and right fists respectively with those last two names. Skyward Hunter looks confident.

“You're going to fight me with just your fists? Alright, I'll duel with you. You have my word that if you win, I'll let Sinon leave with you. Like that'll happen. You'd best be ready to hand her over when I beat your arse.” Sora removes the Estoc from his belt, and hands it to Sinon.

“Keep this safe for me. I have a Harpy to pluck.” Sinon nods.

“Try not to kill him. I know he's an arrogant wanker, but even so, leave him alive.” Sora winks, and turns to face Skyward Hunter. He sets up the duel himself, a sixty second fight, and sends out the invite. Skyward Hunter accepts without hesitation, and draws a Falchion, standing ready as the countdown timer appears. Sora raises both fists, and adopts a defensive stance. The countdown hits zero, and the duel begins. Skyward Hunter strikes first, lunging forwards with impressive speed. Sora jumps to the left, avoiding the thrust, and swinging his right fist into Skyward Hunter's face at the same time. He presses the attack, jabbing Skyward Hunter's head and chest twice each before jumping back to avoid a slash. More slashes are launched against him in rapid succession. Sora dodges the first two, and then for the next four slashes; he deflects the slash with a backhand swing which also sets him up to put all of his weight into a vicious hook, each time targeting Skyward Hunter's face or collarbone. After the fourth blow, Sora follows up with a quick uppercut to the stomach, throwing Skyward Hunter back. The Harpy staggers back, but keeps his footing. He charges at Sora, and Sora charges as well. As Skyward Hunter thrusts once more, Sora leaps at him, grabbing the Harpy's wrist with his left hand and pushing the blade down, out of harm's way. With his right fist, Sora throws all of his weight behind another brutal punch, slamming an iron fist into Skyward Hunter's fourth and fifth ribs on the left side. The Harpy hits the ground hard, air rushing from his lungs. As Skyward Hunter struggles to his feet, the duel's time limit runs out. Since Sora has full health compared to Skyward Hunter's half health, Sora is declared the winner. He gains 500 XP from the duel.

“You put up a good fight, Skyward Hunter, but your technique and your skill were both lacking. Charging straight in is not a wise tactic to use. Try going on the defensive once in a while. In any case, the victory is mine, which means that Sinon stays with my companions and I. That's what we agreed.” Sora starts walking back to his group, clapping the dust from his hands. Sinon's face turns to shock.

“Look out!” Sora spins around to see Skyward Hunter initiating a Sword Skill, exploding forwards with frightening speed and slashing furiously. Sora runs towards the attack and immediately drops down, sliding across the ground on his knees. As he passes below the blade, Sora spins around, swinging out a foot to trip Skyward Hunter, snagging both legs. Sora starts to stand as Skyward Hunter starts to fall. The Harpy can do nothing to protect himself as a huge crimson fist drives down into his face. The impact renders Skyward Hunter unconscious. Sora stands straight, and pops the vertebrae in his neck.

“What an arsehole. I hate people who go back on their word.” He walks over to Sinon, and retrieves his Estoc from her numb hands. He turns back towards the tavern and starts walking.

“Well, come along. The sooner we get this over with, the better.” 

Sinon and the others follow Sora after a moment's hesitation, lost in awe. Sora pushes the door to the tavern open, and raucous laughter rings out. The tavern is quite full, players and NPC patrons alike drinking and conversing enthusiastically. Sora walks up to the bar, flipping a gold coin as he does so. A towering barman looks down at Sora, smiling heartily through his forest of a beard.

“Welcome friend. Care for a drink?” Sora nods.

“Aye, that sounds good. I'll have a flagon of Dragon Mead. By chance, have you seen a blue-eyed Cat Girl with white hair around these parts? Last I saw she was wearing a dark blue cape, and carrying a Runewood Longbow.” The barman places the drink before Sora with a nod.

“Aye, she's three tables behind you, watching you with a hawk's eye. A mistress by chance?” Sora shakes his head.

“She wishes, but alas; not my type. No, she's a business acquaintance. Now that I know she's here, it's time that I do business. Thank you for the drink, and the pointer.” Sora pays for the drink, with a tip thrown in, before turning and walking towards the Cat Girl. She doesn't seem all that happy to see him.

“I've been waiting here for an hour you jerk. No apologies for making a girl wait?” Sora sits down opposite her with a sigh.

“I _would_ apologise, if you were a better liar. How long have you _really_ been here, Persia?” The girl's ears twitch.

“Three minutes. How did you know I was lying? My Deception Skill is one of my highest.” Sora indicates to the table, which lay empty.

“No drink, no plate, no bowl. There's no crumbs, no scraps of food, no ring marks. Nothing to indicate that you've had any food or drink. It's very strange for someone to wait in a tavern and not partake in the offerings to pass the time. Ergo, you only just arrived. My Analysis Skill is high enough to see that, combined with common sense.” Persia sighs.

“Nuts. You're good. You've also changed your name. That's a little suspicious. Then again, I know why you would want to hide that.” Sora nods.

“Good, then we don't need to discuss that here. I don't mean to be rude, but I've got a long journey ahead of me. My new guild is setting out to take down Reality Bytes later today. For now, I have just two questions.” Persia flicks her long white tail playfully.

“The first is going to be about whether anyone's cleared the Tower of Kraler yet. The answer is no. One guild tried. It didn't end well. Fourteen players went in, three teleported out. The rest are dead.” Sora looks both saddened and angry with this.

“Damn. This isn't what I was hoping to hear. I'd much rather you told me that someone cleared it, than hear that more lives have been lost. Even though things would get complicated later on, it's still preferable to have as many survivors as possible.” Persia shrugs.

“These things happen. It was the Shadow Wolf Alliance who went in. Their strongest player was a Level 4 Wizard. A guild needs to be made up of Level 5s at the very least, but even then you need to have the skills and strategic thinking as well, otherwise you're dead. So, what's your other question?” Sora looks Persia in the eyes.

“Has anyone completed the Cave of Origins quests?” Persia hesitates, looking surprised.

“How... How do _you_ know about those?” Sora glances around, cautious of his surroundings.

“I can't answer that right now. There are too many ears around. I count seven players listening to our conversation as we speak. All you need to know is that I came across the knowledge. There's supposed to be two Cave of Origin quests, a Level 2 quest and a Level 5 quest, right?” Persia nods.

“That's right. The Level 2 quest is actually the harder of the two, and pretty poor for rewards. It's good for XP and Skill boosting however. The Level 5 quest is easier, but much longer. On the plus side; the rewards are better. There's a lot of money, four Uncommon items, and two Rare items. Whoever scores a One-hit Kill on the quest boss has a 10% chance of gaining a Super Rare item as well. I'm guessing you're after _that_ then?” Sora nods.

“Well, a Super Rare item certainly is enticing, but the levels are more important to me. Like I said, we're going to be taking on Reality Bytes, by taking the Path of Destiny. Unfortunately, aside from myself and Sinon, the party consists of Level 1s. That's no good. You said it yourself, we need to be Level 5 at the very least.” Persia suddenly looks very intrigued, and her tail swishes playfully.

“Oh ho? You're teaming up with Sinon? Now how did you get the champion of the Moon Sword Alliance to turn her back on them?” Sora shrugs.

“It wasn't hard. She's not happy with that alliance, especially because of that Skyward Hunter guy. Besides, the two of us know each other from GGO. That made it a little easier.” Persia smiles coyly.

“I see. So, now you have your warrior princess. You're a lucky man, Nebula. How long until the two of you end up alone together under the stars?” Sora frowns.

“It's not like that Persia.” The girl's eyes bore into Sora.

“But you _wish_ that it was, don't you? You forget that Vince is my big brother. He knows your type, that means I do too. He's not good at keeping secrets. I've known for a year and a half now. Funny how your conversations with Aniki keep coming back to her, isn't it?” Sora glares at Persia.

“Alright, you've made your point, now knock it off. It's not too late for me to go back on our deal. I'm providing you with a mountain of information to sell, in exchange for you foregoing charging me for the occasional tidbits I seek. Keep pestering me, and I'll cut off your main source of income. Got that?” Persia sighs dejectedly.

“Fine fine. Have it your way Romeo. Well, if you're taking the Path of Destiny, you'll be able to provide me with an endless supply of monster details, item data, the works. Since that information's bound to benefit many others, I've got no choice but to keep you as my supplier. Just make sure you look after yourself out there. Sinon's not the only one who's been keeping an eye on you for a long time. At least with me, it really _is_ like that.” Sora sighs.

“It wouldn't work out between us. You and I are just too different. It'd be like comparing a lump of Iron to a white rose. Sorry kiddo, but you'll have to find someone else. Besides, you brother would beat the absolute crap out of me.” Persia snorts.

“Well, he'd certainly _try_. We all know that your skills dominate his however, so unless you let him at it, you won't be getting a beating. Well, I suppose I should let you go. There _is_ one thing I wanted to ask though: How'd you get a Familiar so soon? That's a Pixie class isn't it? I didn't think you could get one of those this side of the Evergreen Death.” Sora glances around.

“She isn't mine. She's with the happy couple there, the Two-Sword Ranger and the Faerie Healer. As for how, well, that's a long story. When we get out of here, I'll tell you that story, and many more. Thanks for the info Persia. I'll be in touch soon enough.” Persia nods.

“I look forward to it. Well, I better hit the road. Information doesn't just sit around under a neon sign. I need to sniff it out. Until then, I'll leave you this little present.” Persia raises her hands and curls them up like cat paws.

“Nya~n!” Men all throughout the tavern gaze at Persia with starry eyes, while the women tut disapprovingly. Persia skips out, deliberately brushing her tail against Sora's chin as she does so. Sora scratches his head, shrugs, then gestures for Sinon and the others to join him. Sora unfolds his map and lays it on the table as the others take the empty seats. Klein still gazes after Persia, even though she's long gone.

“Who in the world was _that_ angel?” Sora doesn't look up from the map.

“Her player name here is Persia, but she goes by about a hundred names. She's a Beast-Person Archer, specifically a Cat Girl, and also an Info Broker. One of the best. We've had business dealings across several games for about three years now. She's a bit of an oddball though, and not one to sit still for long. We're in a guild together in GGO as well. She's our only sword user, and she dual-wields Photon swords. To be honest, I'm pretty surprised she chose to be an Archer here, but there we have it. Don't bother hitting on her, you'll be wasting your time.” Klein looks back, somewhat disparaged. Suguha speaks before Klein can.

“She seems to have a crush on you. She wasn't very subtle about it either.” Sora sighs.

“You can say that again. It's a right pain in the arse. I don't know what it is she sees in me, but apparently there's something there, and the result is, well I mean you saw what she's like. She loves to tease and flirt. I've been pretty firm with her, but she won't be dissuaded.” Klein looks incredulous.

“What's wrong with _her_? She seems perfect to me!” Sora glances at Klein.

“She's not my type.” Asuna frowns at this.

“You said the same thing about Marion. I'm beginning to wonder what your type actually _is_.” Sora sighs again.

“In a word: Real. Marion's an NPC, and Persia, well, everything's a game with her. Even trapped in this game where people can die, she insists on playing around like nothing's wrong. Of course, I know that's not how she really feels. It's all an act, and that's the problem: all she does is act. She can never be herself, ergo she can never be real. Anyway, that's a personal discussion. Now that I got the information I was after, I can outlay the plan. Sinon's already been briefed on the gist of it, so now I just need to bring the rest of you up to speed. This, is Mesikari. That's the name of this world. We're up here, near the top left corner. Our first stop will be further north; the Cave of Origins. Persia informed me that there's a couple of quests we can undertake here to get our levels up. The rewards are pretty stingy, but the levels are much more important. Once we've levelled up, we'll be taking the Path of Destiny. That means taking on the Tower of Kraler. One guild already tried, and lost eleven members inside it. I won't let that happen to us as well. The survivors teleported out, so we at least know there isn't a teleport block in place. After the Tower, we'll head through the Evergreen Death, to Mount Contradiction, then south to the Marsh of Despair, onwards to Zephyr Plateau, where we'll fly to Skye Castle. After that it's the Valley of a Thousand Deaths, the Ruins of Astris, into the Astral Sea, through the Starless Wastelands, across Rimewall Glacier, through Death Rime Pass, traverse the Silver Plains, and into Elasmeer. We'll rest up, stock up, and make the final push through Titan Hills, the Field of Evisceration, and finally we'll reach the Tower of the Gods, where Reality Bytes has been trapped. It's a long route, and it'll be very difficult, but the alternatives aren't any better. I'm transferring the journey data to your maps, as well as the locations of all Safe Zones and Danger Zones. Any questions?” Cassandra speaks up.

“Why the Path of Destiny? Why not a direct route?” Sora holds up two fingers.

“Two reasons. First: Levels. A direct route from here requires us to level up fast. We'll need to be at least Level 22 for the Evergreen Death, at least Level 65 for the Mountains of Despair, and at least Level 90 for the Gorge of Helios. We can't power level that quickly. We'd have to keep coming back here, and heading straight out again after a rest. That's no good. Taking the Path of Destiny allows us to level up at a more even pace, and therefore won't exhaust us as much. Second: Items. The Path of Destiny has numerous Rare and Super Rare items along the way. That's already been announced. We'll be able to keep ourselves well supplied all the way to the end. The same cannot be said for taking a direct heading. There'll be less rewards of all kinds, for starters. For a continuation, any rewards we _do_ find are likely to be trapped or else insanely heavily guarded. I don't know about you, but I'd rather not do anything that will get us killed in a hurry. This may not be the fastest route, but it's the safest, the most rewarding, and the most logical. Aside from the route itself, our only threat comes from Reality Bytes. If they can reconnect their Admin Interface Terminal to the network, they'll be able to interfere with us. Once they've made reprisal killings against this town, they'll scan the Path of Destiny, and interfere with anyone walking along it. I'll do what I can to delay that, but I'm outnumbered and outclassed. I've never used my computer skills for something like this before. I'm an Info Miner, not a Cyber Warrior. I don't have the necessary knowledge to defeat Reality Bytes with technology. The best I can do is slow them down. If I'm able to keep them busy until we kick down their door, then I'll let my sword skills do what my computer skills can't.” Kirito looks at Sora curiously.

“You're an Info Miner? But, back in the forest-” Sora cuts him off.

“This isn't the best place for _that_ discussion. As I told Persia, there's players listening in on us. Still seven players. The same seven. That's very strange. They know I'm aware of them, but they're carrying on. In theory, I could take them all out right now, but something doesn't add up here. If they're continuing to listen in even though they know that I know we're being eavesdropped, then it means they're waiting for something specific from us. I'm not sure what, but I don't plan on letting it slip carelessly.” Kirito nods slowly.

“I see. Sorry.” Sora shrugs.

“Don't worry about it. To answer your question though, I _am_ an Info Miner. It's what I'm best at. I track down rumours, conduct further research, and analyse my findings. The information that _I_ find is then given to Persia for free, for her to then sell. In return, she waives the charges for specific information that I get from her. She's pretty good at finding things I often overlook. That's the extent of our relationship. Technically, she benefits more than I do. On the surface anyway, but what I seek has more value than just the monetary kind, so it all evens out. Sinon, you remember that 6.2 update I was telling you about for GGO?” Sinon nods.

“The Reaver, right?” Sora starts tapping the side of his flagon, in a somewhat irritable fashion.

“That's right. I was the one to discover the update details. I shared it with Persia, and she's been selling it to other players. She's made a lot of in-game money, which she's exchanged for real money. Quite a bit apparently, or so she brags. There's been a lot of information like that I've been digging up and relaying to Persia. I can already guess what you're all thinking of asking. You want to know how much I've found out about DCO. I'm sorry to say, it's not a lot. Either QZR is aware of Info Miners like me, or else they just don't keep most of the important information on their servers. Either way, my findings have been pretty slim. Plenty of rumours in circulation, but nothing I can confirm, deny, or even properly research. I'm a little annoyed about that, and so's Persia. She can't do her business, and I can't provide anything to do business with. Still, we've got an agreement in place. I'll be providing her with pretty much every bit of information I come across in the course of the game. Monster information, trap data, inventory stats. That sort of thing. It's the best I can do, but it should end up helping everyone out in the long run.” Cassandra looks deeply disapproving.

“She's planning on selling the information? She won't share it for free?” Sora shakes his head, still tapping away impatiently.

“No. She can't. Persia's in a tough situation deep down. She _wants_ to share it for free, but these aren't normal circumstances we're facing. She's well aware that she can die for real, and she's afraid of that. She's unwilling to take risks. She needs to maintain a steady income so that she can upgrade her weapons and armour, and buy potions, but she's not prepared to go on quests. Since that's out, she has to rely upon her trade as an Info Broker instead. Of course, that alone isn't going to be enough, so she's also taken on a second career as a member of the Kraler Watch. She's going to be on Sentry Duty every night, patrolling the town's walls. She's picked the right race for that. As a Cat Girl, her eyesight, hearing and sense of smell are unmatched. Her speed and reflexes are remarkable, as is her athleticism. If she gets into a scrape, she can cut and run pretty easily. There's only a handful of monsters able to keep up with her, but she's sharp so even then she'll get away. The only other threats are Red Players. Since their icons are clearly visible, they'd have to resort to stealth. You can cloak yourself from view, and you can sneak around, but you can't mask your scent. Besides, the day someone sneaks up on Persia is the day I put on a pink tutu and dance around while singing the National Anthem.” Sora drains his flagon, looking a little lost in thought for a moment. Asuna looks at him curiously.

“You seem to know a lot about Miss Persia, considering you've only known each other for three years. The way she flirts with you as well, I would have thought you've been friends a lot longer.” Sora hesitates a moment, tapping the empty flagon.

“Did you ever play a game called Dragon's Reign Online?” Asuna shakes her head. Agil speaks up.

“I have. That's a pretty brutal game. You're supposed to play a knight protecting a kingdom that lives in fear of a Dragon, right?” Sora nods.

“That's right. Most players didn't make it very far in the game. Even the big guilds didn't get past Chapter 15. However, Persia and I were part of the only guild to ever clear the game. The final chapter is called The Siege of the Black Dragon, and it's exactly what it sounds like. The Black Dragon Gra'alkur awakens and besieges the kingdom. The Chapter doesn't end until the Black Dragon is dead. We took on that challenge. There were fifteen of us in total, including someone I'm sure you all have heard of: Virtual Demon. Even so, it was a true siege situation. Understand one thing; you cannot log out in the middle of a quest. That was the major flaw in the game that saw it being shut down, because we ended up trapped for seventeen days. That's how long it took us to clear the final chapter. It was a war of attrition. Anyway, during the siege, when things got quiet, Persia and I would end up talking. Just talking, about the game, about other games, about life in general. Anything. Whatever we could think of to take our minds off being stuck in DRO for days on end, and to keep our spirits up. We got to know each other pretty well that way. We'd pretty much shared our life stories by the end. On the final day, Virtual Demon comes up with a crazy plan to get us all out, using himself as bait. Honestly, I didn't think it would work out. Nine of us were wiped out in the course of the plan, but we crippled that Dragon, and then Virtual Demon cut loose on it. A 241-hit combo. The Black Dragon was killed, we cleared the game, we logged out. Persia and I have been close ever since. It was after that battle that she started flirting with me.” Kirito and Klein both look awed. 

“You've met him? The VR Nightmare? You were actually in a guild with him? I always thought he only played solo. What's he like?” Sora raises an eyebrow.

“Who, Sora? He's a good guy. Very quiet, not the most sociable, but I don't think that's deliberate. He often seemed wrapped up in his own world. His default expression seems to be lost. It's true he usually plays solo, but not always. Take GGO for example. There are some quests there that you can't even start without being in a guild. In situations like that, he'll team up with someone. I heard that he was pissed about DRO being shut down. He wanted to go back in and take on the Black Dragon by himself, but he was denied that chance. That's just the kind of guy he is. He spends a lot of time thinking, planning. When he takes action though, it's a sight to see. He plays with a passion. It's as though the Virtual world is his reality, if you know what I mean. It's as if this world is what is truly real, while reality is just an illusion. I think that's about the best I can put it.” Kirito nods.

“I think I understand what you're saying. It's like he lives inside VR.” Sora nods emphatically.

“Yes! That's right. VR is his home, it's the only place he wants to be. He scorns reality, rejects it. He wants nothing more to do with that world, only the virtual one.” He resumes tapping the flagon again, and he occasionally looks about himself, looking impatient. Cassandra narrows her eyes. She glances at the system clock on her menu, and becomes even more suspicious. _He's waiting for something, and that bothers me. There_ is _something about to happen, but there's no way he can know about it. The information was never released, and the only data we have on it is written on paper. Yet, this is the only thing I can think of. The timing of it is too suspicious_. Yui, who had been perched on Kirito's shoulder, flutters down onto the table, looking at Sora with mild concern.

“You seem agitated, almost as if you're waiting for something. Is it those eavesdroppers?” In the middle of the tavern, a monster spawns. It stands eight feet tall, looking vaguely humanoid. Its dark red skin is covered in small spikes, and two large curved horns protrude above the blood red eyes. It glares about the tavern, a pair of longswords strapped to its back.

“I see a lot of potential warriors in this place, but are you strong? Does any man or woman here have the nerve and the strength to challenge me to a duel? Or are you all cowards and weaklings?” Sora stands with a sigh, drawing out his Estoc and Parrying Dagger.

“If you're looking for a duel, then look no further. I will be your opponent.” The Demon faces Sora, and nods.

“Very well warrior, I accept your challenge.” The Demon snaps its fingers, and the world changes around them. The tavern vanishes, and everyone, be it real players or NPC patrons, finds themselves in a hellish arena. The ground is wildly uneven, with jagged spires jutting up to a metre high. The walls and floor are thickly coated with yellow crystals, while the ceiling rises beyond the range of eyesight. The air is stiflingly hot, and the stench of sulphur is almost suffocating. Oxygen levels are low here. Sora and the Demon stand at opposite ends of a smallish battlefield, five metres wide and forty metres long. The Demon bows to Sora.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Otirik, also known as the Two-Sword Nightmare. I am the greatest swordsman to walk this Abyssal Plane. My twin swords; The Bane of Light and The Kiss of Darkness, are unparalleled. There are none who can defeat me. Do you truly believe you can be victorious, Hellborne?” Sora stands calmly.

“My name is Nebula, the God Slayer. In all the worlds I have seen, none have ever bested me. My sword is the fastest blade known to all living beings. Not even the Gods can match my speed, my precision, or my lethality. Today I will bring down the Two-Sword Nightmare, and prove my reputation. I hope you're ready for defeat, because I will not be gentle about it.” Otirik laughs coldly.

“Such bold claims! I like it, I like it a lot. You interest me, God Slayer. Now, let's see if your words are honest, or if they are nothing more than disappointing lies.” Otirik draws his longswords, both blades being pitch black, and assumes an aggressive stance. Sora takes up a defensive stance, and waits for the countdown timer to tick away. As soon as the timer hits zero, Otirik explodes forwards, flying with phenomenal speed, slashing at Sora ferociously. Sora reacts instantly, parrying the strike with his dagger while simultaneously shifting to the right. Pain flashes through his left arm as a black blade slices through just above the elbow, inflicting a shallow cut. Otirik slashes again and again, his speed incredible, but Sora is able to parry each blow much better than the first, avoiding being hit as badly, if it all. It is only occasionally that an attack will land on Sora, and after the fourth hit; Sora lands a successful hit of his own, slicing Otirik's left cheek. The two break apart, circle each other, before diving straight back into battle, exchanging blows with a rapid chorus of clangs and swishes. Sora seems to have found his rhythm, as not a single attack lands on him any longer. Otirik ups the tempo of his attacks, trying to tire out Sora and earn an opening. After striking Sora successfully five times in a row; Otirik swings both swords simultaneously, striking low and high. To his surprise, Sora is able to parry both attacks together, throwing the Demon off balance. Sora spins around, kicking Otirik in the jaw, before bringing his foot back in a heel flick that breaks Otirik's right horn off, leaving a rough, splintered stump. Otirik snarls viciously, and both swords become shrouded in a kind of black fog as the Demon initiates a Sword Skill, slashing with incredible speed. In the audience, Kirito gasps in shock as he recognises the Sword Skill. _That's... that's the Sword Skill I used to defeat The Gleam Eyes! That's Star Burst Stream!_ What is even more shocking is that Sora is able to parry every single strike, sparing himself from even being scratched. As Otirik brings the Sword Skill to an end, Sora parries the final blows, throwing the Demon off balance again. He leaps forwards and slams his forehead into the Demon's face, breaking off the other horn. A chunk of Otirik's health vanishes from the impact, dropping his health below Sora's. With the tables turning, Sora goes on the offensive, moving with such blinding speed that his limbs are a blur. His surgically precise strikes shred Otirik's armour, and drop his health bar into the red. The Demon's eyes fill with desperation, and he swings both swords, aiming to scissor Sora's head off. Both the Parrying Dagger and the Estoc glow with green and azure light respectively as Sora simultaneously initiates two Sword Skills. He thrusts the Parrying Dagger before him, locking it with the two black swords. With a vicious twist, Sora shatters both longswords. He then lunges, launching himself at supersonic speeds, thrusting the Estoc through Otirik's heart. The blade punches through right up to the quillons, and then the sonic boom hits, blasting the Demon off of the sword. Otirik disintegrates as his health bar empties completely. Sora spins the Parrying Dagger and Estoc in his hands in a victorious flourish, and sheaths them both together, before facing the awestruck audience. Deep, booming applause rings out as the Dragon's Head Tavern's bartender steps out into the arena.

“Marvellous! That was truly a spectacle worthy of the praise of the Gods. Your skill with a blade is undeniable. You are a champion worthy of legend, Nebula the God Slayer. We haven't been properly introduced. I am Elric Titanslayer; proprietor of the Dragon's Head Tavern. In my younger days, I was hailed as a hero, and many legends were told of my deeds. From one champion to another, I congratulate you on your victory. As a reward, I will grant you the power to create one unique Sword Skill. Simply hold this talisman, visualise the skill, and speak the Magic Words inscribed here.” Elric throws the talisman to Sora, who catches it deftly. _My own Sword Skill huh? This will be good. I need it to be the best that I can muster, a skill that can slay even a God_. Sora holds the talisman and closes his eyes, visualising a Sword Skill of remarkable speed and brutal strength, seeing every last movement in detail.

“Kaneragi Notoris Sorenaki!” Golden light erupts from the talisman as Sora speaks the Magic Words, and he can feel power permeating through his body. After ten seconds, the light fades away. Elric speaks again.

“Now that you have created the Sword Skill, you need to perform it.” He snaps his fingers, and a Lizardman spawns. It's icon identifies it as a Training Dummy. Sora draws the Estoc again, this time holding it low to his right side, gripping the hilt almost as though he intends to throw the sword. The Training Dummy charges forwards, and Sora's Estoc glows bright azure as he activates the new Sword Skill. Sora moves blindingly fast and slashing with brutal strength and surgical precision, filling the air with the screams of steel. His attacks disarm the Lizardman on the eighth strike, and the following twelve strikes tenderize the Dummy. Lightning envelopes the Estoc's blade as Sora prepares the finishing blow, and thrusts the sword into the Lizardman's chest. The instant the cross-guard touches the Lizardman, the Dummy rockets off the blade, being fired like a Railgun. It slams into the far wall, being buried deep into it, before disintegrating. Sora stands panting, his magic bar completely depleted. Elric looks impressed.

“Aye, a spectacular Sword Skill worthy of a legendary swordsman. What will you name it?” Sora only has to think for a few seconds.

“I name this Sword Skill: Blackjack's Railgun.” Elric chuckles.

“A fine name indeed.” The Hellish arena vanishes, and everyone is returned to the Dragon's Head Tavern. Sora sits on a stool right at the bar. Elric places a fresh flagon of mead before him.

“On the house, as a mark of respect for a new champion.” Sora nods appreciatively. He takes out a Mana Potion from his inventory, knocking back the blue liquid and refilling his magic bar. As he drinks the mead, the door to the tavern flies open with a crash. Sora turns to see Skyward Hunter marching in, Falchion drawn, looking furious. Elric's voice booms out.

“Sheath your sword young Harpy! Fighting is strictly prohibited within this Tavern.” Skyward Hunter clearly ignores the man as his sword begins to glow, a Sword Skill being prepared. A piercing screech fills the air as a Golden Eagle swoops down upon Skyward Hunter from the rafters. The eagle grabs the Harpy's tunic and picks him up off the ground, exhibiting unexpected strength. The eagle banks hard right, spinning in a tight circle, and flings Skyward Hunter into the wall beside the open door. He slams hard against the wood, but recovers quickly with a snarl.

“Why you-!” Skyward Hunter turns his attention to the eagle, and he barely registers Sora's voice shouting out.

“Don't do it!” Skyward Hunter activates the Sword Skill, and cleaves the eagle in two. A bellowing war-cry erupts as Elric hurls himself over the bar. He sweeps the ground with the shaft of his war-hammer, tripping Skyward Hunter. Again, Sora cries out.

“Elric stop!” The giant of a man pays no mind to Sora, and brings the war-hammer down upon Skyward Hunter's skull. The force of the impact creates an earthquake that shakes the tavern furiously, bottles and crockery shattering against the floor. Skyward Hunter's body disintegrates into nothingness, and a shocked silence falls over the tavern, for a heartbeat. Sora stands, drawing the Estoc from its sheath. Sinon's voice rings out.

“Wait! Stop!” Elric glares at Sora angrily, his grip on the war-hammer tightening. Sora looks furious himself.

“Why? Why did you have to do it? Why kill him?” Elric's voice shakes with rage.

“Fighting is strictly prohibited in this Tavern. The Harpy was warned.” Sora looks incredulous.

“But that's no reason to kill him! By all means, throw him out. Bar him even. But _this_? You went too far!” Elric stands sharply and shouts at Sora.

“HE MURDERED MY FAMILIAR!” Sora tries to remain calm, but he shakes with rage.

“So? So fucking what? One life does not equal another. Killing a Familiar is no justification for such a brutal murder.” Elric loses control of his emotions, and rushes forwards.

“SHUT UP!” He swings the war-hammer, and it passes through Sora, who vanishes. Elric loses his balance and slams into a pillar with an almighty crash. He cries out in pain as a bolt of lightning strikes him in the back. Elric turns around to see Sora right on top of him, too close to block. Sora slashes hard and fast, using the Blackjack's Railgun. With the final thrust, Elric is blasted through the wall of the tavern, and he lands roughly on the grass. Another bolt of lightning strikes him, hitting him square in the chest. Elric stands shakily, seeing Sora marching towards him with a furious expression. Elric springs forwards with phenomenal speed, bringing down the war-hammer with both hands. Sora raises his clenched left fist up to his mouth.

“I need to disarm this tyrannical murderer.” Sora throws the Destiny Die, and sees a golden number 4 appear. He smiles at the result, and thrusts his Estoc, putting all of his strength into the attack. The Estoc and the war-hammer collide with earth-shattering force, and both weapons explode into shards. Elric is stunned by the loss of his weapon, and fails to react to the attack. Sora spins around and kicks the man in the face, breaking his nose and dropping him to the ground. He grabs the bartender by the hair and yanks his head up, before thrusting the Parrying Dagger. Sora stays his hand at the last second, holding the tip of the blade against Elric's throat. He breathes heavily, ignoring the screaming of his instincts as they beg to spill blood.

“I should kill you, here and now. You are not a champion, you're a tyrant. The honour you once had is long gone. You've forgotten what it is to be Human. You've forgotten mercy. You're just a monster. By rights, I should kill you, but then I would _become_ you. I don't want that. I have too much blood on my hands as it is. I will spare your life, this time. Unlike you, I still know mercy, and I choose to show it to you now. Remember this incident, remember how it could have played out. If you ever kill again, I will be back to punish you, and the penalty _will_ be death.” Sora pulls the Dagger away and sheaths it. Elric lets out a held breath, and sees a shadow fall over him as a fist slams into his face, the impact rendering him unconscious. Sora stands, still breathing heavily, and looks over his shoulder at the Dragon's Head Tavern, and the shocked crowd that has gathered at the hole. Cassandra looks particularly gobsmacked. _My God! That guy is insane! Elric is a Level 30 Divine Champion, and Nebula decided to duel against him! If it hadn't been for that lucky Destiny Roll, he would have been killed! How many times does he plan on gambling with his life? He's supposed to be protecting these people, trying to free them by defeating Reality Bytes, not picking fights with NPCs! What the Hell is he thinking?_ Sora retrieves his Destiny Die from the grass, and marches off, heading away from town. Sinon rushes out after him, trying to catch up. Sora keeps up his brisk pace until he reaches the outskirts of the town, far from prying eyes, and Sinon catches up with him.

“Sora...” Sora drops to his knees, and punches the ground, tears splashing on the grass.

“Damn! _Damn!_ Why did this happen? _Why_? This isn't right. This isn't fair! This is Hell! I just don't understand why! I _hate_ this! I hate Skyward Hunter for not listening to me. I hate Elric for letting anger cloud his judgement. I hate Reality Bytes for hijacking this game and disabling the Safety Systems, and I hate QZR Studios for not preparing for such an act. More than anything, I _hate_ myself. I hate _myself_ for what happened. I couldn't stop them, either of them. I couldn't _do_ anything! I hate that I'm so _weak_! I was _too_ weak to stop them. All I could do was _watch_ as another life was ended before my eyes. Stupid fucking idiot! I'm weak! Useless! _Pathetic_! I have no right to be alive! I have no power here. How can I expect to save everyone here when I can't even save a _single_ life? I'm a failure as a person. I'm completely worthless. I'd be better off dead! I can't do anything to help these people. I'm nothing but a waste of time and energy. Less even than _that_. I wish someone would just kill me already! I belong in Hell! I'm responsible for every death that has happened so far, and I'll be responsible for every death still to come. Send me to Hell! Send me to Hell and let me burn! It's no more than I deserve!” Sinon crouches beside Sora and holds him in her arms, forcing him to lay on her lap. She wants to speak, she wants to comfort him, but she doesn't know what to say. _He blames himself. What can I say to change that? He blames himself for everything, even that which he has no control over. How am I supposed to comfort him with that mindset in place? He's trying to take on too much, and he's being incredibly harsh upon himself. He's already pushed himself beyond breaking point, and he's still trying to push further. He wants to die. He wants to go to Hell to be punished, but he hasn't wronged. He's just convinced himself that he has. He's assuming responsibility for every little thing that happens, and chastises himself for everything that goes wrong. It's too much. One man can't handle this much. He needs to stop trying to do this alone. That solo player attitude is what needs to die, not Sora himself. He needs to let other people share the burden and share the responsibility, before he breaks completely. He's not far off that. He's falling apart. His calm, strong exterior has collapsed now, exposing his true self. He's vulnerable, and I'm sure he hates_ that _as well. He has to set these feelings aside and let us help him. We're all in this together!_ It takes nearly half an hour for Sora to stop crying and stop cursing himself. Now, he is just numb, empty. Sinon continues to hold onto him, as the words she sought come to her.

“You shouldn't blame yourself so much, Sora. Nor should you be such a harsh self-critic. Don't forget what you said to me after the riots. You are _not_ a God. You're not omnipotent. You have your limits. It's okay to admit that, but it's _not_ okay to try and exceed those all the time. There isn't _anyone_ in this world _or_ the real one who could have saved Skyward Hunter. He let his hurt pride make him foolish, and he ignored the warnings, yours _and_ Elric's. Nor could anyone have done anything about Elric. _He_ made his decision. You _aren't_ responsible for that. You aren't weak either. You're _strong_ , Sora. Stronger than anyone I know. No-one who is weak could gamble their life to calm down so many panicked people like you did. No-one who is weak could bear the burden that you carry. That being said, you shouldn't try to shoulder it alone. Not any more. You brought in Kirito and the others to help you, so _let_ them help you. Let _me_ help you as well. Share the burden that you carry alone. Share it not just with the Rescue Team, but with the guild leaders as well. We're _all_ in this together, so let us _all_ help you. I know that you want to blame yourself for the people who have died so far. Losing these lives is tragic, but again I'll remind you of your own words, this time from the meeting with the guild leaders: People die in the real world all the time. You don't feel responsible for _those_ deaths, do you? How can you? You aren't responsible for the fate of someone living on the opposite side of the world. You shouldn't feel responsible for everyone _here_ either. It isn't right. It isn't _fair_. Not on you. There is a limit to the things that you can be blamed for, but you're trying to blame yourself for everything. Don't! You have to stop blaming yourself like this. You have to, otherwise the despair you feel now will only get worse, and you'll take your own life. I won't let you do that. I can't stand by and watch as you tear yourself apart.” After a few seconds, Sora nods weakly.

“Mm.” Silence falls between the two for a long time, before Sora finally speaks properly.

“Sinon... Thank you. For staying with me just now. I... needed that. I needed _you_. If I had broken down alone... I don't know what would have happened. Can I ask you... not to tell the others about this? If they knew that I broke down... it could hurt us. They need me to be strong, so that they too can be strong.” Sinon nods.

“Alright. I'll keep this between us. I promise.” Sora sits up, and looks Sinon in the eyes.

“Thank you. I'll do what I can to avoid a repeat of this. I'll do what I can, fight as hard as I can, give it all that I have. If no-one else, I'll make sure that _you_ survive this game, even if it costs me my life. I swear, you _will_ survive this game!” Sinon flinches in shock, taken aback by the vow. She can see the determination in Sora's eyes, knowing instinctively that he _will_ hold true to his word, and that attempting to talk him out of it will be an exercise in futility. She sighs in resignation. _Why did he have to go and make such a crazy vow? He's so reckless, it defies logic. That's twice now. Twice he's gambled with his life by using the Destiny Die. He wasn't even trying to save anyone this time, just to win a fight. I'm worried about him. He's too impulsive, and too volatile. He doesn't hesitate to put himself in danger, and he doesn't hesitate to gamble with his own life. That kind of recklessness would make him a very stressful boyfriend... I wonder if he's seeing anyone?_ Sinon recoils at the thought, surprising herself. She feels herself blushing, and feels grateful that Sora isn't staring at her any more, but instead gazing off into the distance. _That was an unexpected thought, but it's a good question. If I'm honest with myself, I hope that he isn't seeing anyone. I can't help but wonder what it would be like to be his girlfriend. Would it really be so stressful? His impulsiveness is an issue, but maybe it's just because he has no-one in his heart. Maybe if we were together, he'd think more rationally, and not live on instinct and reflexes. Could we get together though? Would he accept me? I don't know his type. He likes strong women, but he doesn't mind playing the hero occasionally. He also likes women who are, in his words: real. Those who are honest with themselves, who don't act or play games. That's all I know about his type. Where do I fit in? Am I compatible with Sora? Would it work between us, or would it end in disaster? I'd like to think it would work out well, but that could be naïve of me. I don't know that much about him. I need to find out more. I need to find out about the type of man he is, and the type of woman he likes. When I know for certain that we're compatible, I'll make my feelings known. Until then, I'll stay close to him, protect him, support him through this trial. Sora; I'll be there for you._


	4. The Cave of Origins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the battle between Elric and Sora, the Rescue Team sets out for the Cave of Origins, where a pair of quests await them which can raise their levels sufficiently for taking on the Path of Destiny. However, these quests turn out to be far different to what any of them were expecting. Will the Rescue Team be able to cope with the unexpected changes? Will Sinon be able to cope with the anxiety that comes from watching Sora as he dances with Death endlessly?

**March 2nd 2030 – 1202 JST**

Sora leads the way along the dirt road, looking pretty glum. A bright red hand print burns his left cheek. After the fight with Elric, and the break down, Sora had taken a walk to clear his head, before stopping by Marion's shop. She had been furious with the destruction of the Estoc, and banned him from her store. The hand print is hers. Sora sighs as he looks at the longsword at his hip. _A Fine Longsword +2 huh? What a piece of shit. No crit bonus, no elemental attribute, no stat modifier. Just the bare bollock basics. Unfortunately, this was the best weapon left available to me. The market has been picked clean of all the good stuff. None of the players have raised their Smithing Skill to a high enough level to compete with Marion yet either. Their swords are more powerful than this, but the durability is almost non-existent. They haven't figured out the art of forging yet. Not that I can do any better. My Smithing Skill is completely untrained. Perhaps it'd be worth my while to change that. If we weren't on a rescue operation, I wouldn't hesitate to go on a stat blitz, but there we have it_. Kirito moves up to Sora's left side, keen to break the silence.

“So what was up with that Demon? It used one of my Sword Skills. I'd recognise Star Burst Stream anywhere. I used it to kill a high level Boss in SAO after all.” Sora frowns at Kirito, suddenly annoyed.

“Do you seriously have to ask? Weren't you paying attention at all? The Demon's name alone should be an astronomical giveaway. 'Otirik' is just 'Kirito' spelled backwards. He's based upon you. Your dual-wielding talent, your twin longswords, your Sword Skills. Everything. QZR Studios has spent three years developing Otirik to be the perfect reproduction of your SAO character.” Kirito starts, surprised by this.

“Seriously? They based a Demon on me? How did they accomplish that anyway? Almost no-one knows about my Dual-wielding.” Sora sighs.

“QZR Studios was able to get its hands on several original SAO data logs, though I haven't been able to ascertain how they managed that. The Dual-wielding Skill sets were all stored on there. I hear they also enlisted the help of a couple survivors to verify the accuracy of their reproduction and offer feedback. They were members of... what was it again? The Aincrad Liberation Army? They saw your Skill in action, so they were pretty helpful in creating Otirik.” Asuna appears at Kirito's side, Yui perched on her shoulder.

“And I suppose you used your talent as an Info Miner to learn about the Star Burst Stream and devise a way to block it, right?” Cassandra answers before Sora can.

“Impossible! We never released any information about that Scripted Event! Its entire existence was kept a secret. It was supposed to be a surprise. Which begs the question of how the Hell you knew about it. I saw you, tapping away impatiently. You were waiting for the scripted event, weren't you? But how? All data relating to it was stored in a notebook in Shiraishi's office, or else in our heads. Nothing digital. So how did _you_ know?” Sora glances at her.

“I wouldn't say that I _knew_ as such. I was just waiting to confirm a rumour. About twenty minutes before DCO went live, the forum I was browsing received a new post from a member claiming that a scripted event would occur in the Dragon's Head Tavern at 1000 JST on March 2nd, one that had a Super Rare reward. No details were given about the nature of the scripted event, or the reward. I didn't have time to research the rumour beforehand, so I decided to wait and see for myself. I know we're supposed to be defeating Reality Bytes as soon as possible, but a Super Rare reward was something I couldn't pass up. A new Sword Skill, or rather, a _unique_ Sword Skill, that's something worth waiting around for. Defeating Otirik was simply a matter of strategy, skill, and instinct. This Star Burst Stream, it's not very good if you don't mind me saying. There's not a lot of lateral movement, just a relentless push forwards. That's no good. Head-on attacks are useless against me. I'm quite well known for parrying that kind of technique. People often called me Counter Point because of that.” Cassandra frowns, looking sceptical. _A rumour? Seriously? Who would be able to spread that? How would they know? The only ones who knew were the members of QZR Studios, and none of those... I mean... Oh you've got to be kidding me! It was Shiraishi wasn't it? That man loves to toot his own fucking horn. Imbecile!_ Asuna sounds surprised.

“Counter Point? I know that name. There was supposed to be a Spriggan in ALO who was renowned for killing players by parrying their attacks. His technique was referred to as Counter Killing. I heard he took out a dozen Salamanders single-handedly, just using sword counters. That was you?” Sora smiles mischievously.

“It was thirteen actually. Commander Eugene was amongst the fallen. A week after that, he marched an army of Salamanders into Spriggan territory. Eighty-five Salamanders in total. He was looking for a war. What he got was a massacre. I'm the ambassador for the Spriggan-Undine alliance. When the Salamanders marched, the Undines sent three squadrons to fortify our defences. Then there's Virtual Demon to factor in. He's a Spriggan too. He and I fought on the front lines, just the two of us, while three squadrons of Undines and four of Spriggans stayed back to use spells and arrows, at Virtual Demon's request you see. Neither of us took so much as a scratch, while the Salamanders were defeated. General Starlord, the Spriggan leader, toyed with the idea of invading the Salamanders and conquering them, but then he and his advisors decided against it. Spriggans aren't very popular, so there was a risk of a backlash from the invasion. Sure, we could fight our way out of that situation, but it just didn't seem worth the hassle. So we decided to let the Salamanders lick their wounds and carry on as normal.” Asuna looks a bit surprised.

“You're the ambassador for the Spriggan-Undine Alliance? I thought Virtual Demon was?” Sora nods.

“He is. Technically we both are, but Virtual Demon is in and out of ALO too often to do his duties properly, so he's delegated most of the work to me. Only when there's a major conflict does he show up. Usually anyway. I've been the ambassador for more than a few years now, pretty much since the day I joined. I started playing ALO just after the Spriggan-Undine Alliance was formed. I did some level grinding to begin with, then managed to get dragged into a diplomatic crisis. Several players from both sides were being consistently killed off. Player Killing's allowed, but this was being taken to a new extreme. It was classified as Griefing, both sides were sick of it, and fingers were being pointed. Because they were high level players, Virtual Demon was the prime suspect, but they were wrong. It was an Undine doing the killing. Her name was Nefertiti, I'll never forget it. I caught her in the act, and recorded her slaying an Undine. When an Undine security force came to arrest Virtual Demon, I presented the footage. They realised that it was one of their own who was the PKer. Nefertiti was arrested and banished, and Virtual Demon had his name cleared. Both he and a representative of the Undines asked me to become an ambassador. Separately of course. I accepted, and I've been an ambassador ever since. Right now I'm working on forming ties with the Pooka, the Sylph and the Imps. I'd like to form ties with the Cait Sith as well, but I don't know any. Not personally.” Sinon pats him on the right shoulder.

“Yes you do. Me.” Sora raises an eyebrow.

“You're a Cait Sith? Well that's pretty cool. Somehow I get the feeling you could pull off the look, assuming your ALO avatar is similar to your GGO one. I bet you get a lot of guys hitting on you though.” Sinon sighs wearily.

“You're not wrong. What is it about cat ears and tails that drives guys wild?” Sora shrugs.

“Beats me. You'd be better off asking Persia. She chose to be a Cat Girl here specifically for that reason. Well, at any rate, looks like I can get a Spriggan-Cait Sith Alliance going soon, once we get out of here. Man, that's going to be a lot of work for me, especially if I become ambassador for a Spriggan-Pooka Alliance, a Spriggan-Sylph Alliance and a Spriggan-Imp Alliance as well. Hey Kirito, you're a Spriggan right? How would you like to be ambassador for a Spriggan-Sylph Alliance?” Kirito shrugs.

“Sure, I could do that. What about the Spriggan-Cait Sith Alliance?” Sora glances at him sharply, and his response is just as sharp initially.

“I can manage that on top of the Spriggan-Undine Alliance thanks. Two ambassadorial jobs is within my capabilities. If I can find someone friendly with the Pooka and Imps as well though, that'd be awesome.” Kirito thinks about this.

“I can't help out there, but Klein's a Salamander, would that be any use to you?” Sora shakes his head.

“I doubt it. The Salamanders and the Spriggans have been at each other's throats since day one. We've got a better chance of forming ties with the Leprechauns and the Goblins.” Suguha speaks up.

“Hey, Lisbeth's a Leprechaun. Maybe if you two became friends you two could get an Alliance going.” Sora looks over his shoulder, faintly surprised.

“Lisbeth? You mean the Blacksmith Goddess? She's actually real? I thought she was a myth.” Asuna laughs at this.

“I think I can understand why, but she's real, and a good friend of ours. She was in SAO as well. Blacksmithing is what she does best, but in a fight she's a high level Mace user.” Sora looks pretty intrigued.

“Is that so? I'd like to stop by Lisbeth's shop at some point then, see what she has to offer. I have a Legendary Weapon, but I'd like to get a Custom Order Weapon as well.” Kirito becomes curious about this as well.

“A Legendary Weapon? Which one?” Sora glances at him.

“Durandal. It wasn't easy to get that sword either. I had to go all the way down to Niflheim to get it. That place is stupidly cold, and those Frost Giants don't take kindly to having Faeries visiting them. Thinking back, I probably should have taken the whole guild, but we weren't all available. It was just me, Persia, and Vince. We make a good team, but we were dangerously lacking in ranged and magical capabilities. Vince specialises in two-handed weapons, and Persia is a Speed-type. It took us thirteen hours to clear the dungeon and reach Durandal. I was the only one capable of wielding the sword, so I took it.” Kirito, Klein, Agil, Asuna, Sinon, Suguha and Yui all look troubled by this. Suguha is the one to speak up.

“So Niflheim's open as well now. How long ago was this?” Sora thinks back.

“I've had Durandal about three months now. Why?” Yui answers the question.

“Alfheim Online is based largely on Norse Mythology. Events are playing out accordingly, leading towards the culmination of the myth. At the current rate of progression, ALO will reach the climax of the myth within the next eighteen months, at the most.” Sora mulls this over.

“I see. So you're all worried about Ragnarök. It's true that we're one step closer to that end, but there's no reason to fear yet. There's no guarantee that we'll see Ragnarök. There's one thing you need to keep in mind here: Virtual Demon plays ALO. Do you really think he'll sit back and let the world wipe itself out? The guy's got ten Legendary Weapons, there's no way he'll risk losing those. He might be in and out of the Alfheim world a lot, but he _does_ enjoy playing the game. Besides, the destruction of Alfheim would likely mean the loss of New Aincrad as well. He didn't bust his balls clearing the top eleven floors and reaching the Ruby Palace just to see it all disappear. ALO and GGO are his two main games, and he'll keep those going as long as he's able to play them. Just you watch.” Cassandra tuts loudly.

“Is this really the time to chat?” Sora frowns at her.

“Well, what else do you want to do? It'll take another fifteen minutes at least to reach the Cave of Origins. I won't speak for everyone else, but I have no intention of walking in a gloomy silence. Chatting like this, at a time like this, is more important than you seem to realise. Moments of levity are crucial in this crisis. I'll tell you what I told the guild leaders eight hours ago: our biggest priority is morale. We need to keep our spirits up, or we'll be paralysed by despair. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be paralysed at all.” Cassandra mutters under her breath, prompting Sora to roll his eyes.

“Complain all you want, but it won't make a damn bit of difference. I've already told you what you can do if you don't like my methods. Stay or go, I don't really care, just as long as you don't get in my way. We've lost too many people as it is. If you're the cause of more deaths, I'll drag your sorry arse to prison myself and lock you there for the duration.” Cassandra falls into a mutinous silence. Asuna looks distant.

“I wonder... I wonder how many have been lost so far? When Director Shiraishi came to ask for our help, he told us that five hundred players died simultaneously. Do you know about that? Do you know what happened?” Sora nods solemnly, his expression becoming pained.

“I... failed them. I didn't see it coming, I panicked... and I messed up the incantations. My spells did nothing to prevent their deaths. It was... a group suicide. They poisoned themselves. I tried to stop them, tried to cure the poison, tried to heal them. I failed. I got the incantation wrong and blew off my left hand. I didn't have time to feel pain, or to go into shock. In the chaos, Red Players rampaged. I shifted my focus to them instead. I was in bad shape as it was, and ended up losing control of my emotions. I didn't even think about restraining the Player Killers. I just... reacted on instinct. Fight or flight. Running away would have meant so many lives would have been ended. My instincts took over, and I went for the lesser of two evils. Ever since the game became our prison, I've practically done nothing but react on instinct. I haven't been able to let logic catch up yet.” Sora shakes his head, then navigates through his menus for a moment. What he sees troubles him, and he struggles to put it into words.

“Um... with Skyward Hunter as well... the death count stands at... at 2,718. Most of that was during the second panic. If I'd been a Wizard instead of a Sword Mage, my Mana would have held out, and the first calming spell would have remained in effect. I've repeatedly regretted that decision. I have less magic power, and most of my spells are combat-oriented. The few non-combat spells I have, I've had to use creatively to achieve the results I've managed so far. If I was a Level 8 Wizard instead, the death count would probably be only 20% of the current number.” Sinon places a hand on Sora's shoulder.

“You weren't to know. If Reality Bytes hadn't struck, then your Class choice would have been impeccable, in your hands at least. You couldn't have seen this coming. No-one could have, except for the people who caused this mess. Do the best you can with what you've got. No-one can or will expect any more of you. We're here to help. If we work together, we _can_ end this, quickly. In the meantime, work on maintaining your morale. I'd rather see you being irritatingly mischievous than depressed or upset.” Sora grins wickedly.

“Careful what you wish for. I've got a bit of a reputation for being a prankster. Just ask Persia. She's usually the victim of my pranks.” Sinon smiles at this. _That's more like it. Seeing a smile on Sora's face, it cheers me up as well. His smile is contagious. More than that, it's reassuring. I feel safer knowing that he's not being gripped by despair_. Kirito decides to go along with this, and opts for a more upbeat topic of conversation.

“Say, Nebula? I was wondering about your Unique Sword Skill. You named it Blackjack's Railgun, right? I get the Railgun part, but who's Blackjack? Is that a game name you use in another VRMMO?” Sora shakes his head.

“Blackjack isn't a person. It _could_ be an alias, in fact I think I killed a Blackjack in GGO once, but mostly it's a card game. I'll spare you the full details, but players are dealt two cards. They have to try and add cards to their hand to make a total of twenty-one. The numbered cards are valued as you'd expect. Jack, Queen and King are worth ten. Aces can be one, eleven, or both, depending on the Dealer's discretion. Usually though, Aces are both. The winner is the person who scores closest to twenty-one without going over. If you get twenty-one, it's an instant win, unless someone ties with you. That's the gist of the game anyway. I chose to call my Unique Skill 'Blackjack's Railgun', because it's a twenty-one hit combo, culminating in a Railgun thrust. Make sense now?” Kirito nods.

“I understand now. Still, why did you limit yourself to twenty-one strikes? You can go higher with a Unique Skill, can't you?” Sora pauses for a moment.

“Well, yes you can, technically. However, my Sword Level is only twenty-one. The number of hits a combo can make is limited by the relevant Skill's Level.” Kirito frowns.

“Your Sword Level?” Sora sighs.

“You really _have_ received the bare basics. Crap. This is going to take a lot of explaining, so bear with me. In Destiny's Calling Online, there are three Major Classes of Stats. These are Build Stats, Key Stats, and Attribute Stats. Build Stats are the easiest to train. Build Stats develop here the same way they do in ALO: through repeated use. There are twenty different Build Stats available to every player, that I'm aware of: Sword Stats, Shield Stats, Axe Stats, Hammer Stats, Pole-arm Stats, Bow Stats, Unarmed Stats, Throwing Stats, Tracking Stats, Fishing Stats, Cooking Stats, Enchanting Stats, Apothecary Stats, Healing Stats, Mining Stats, Smithing Stats, Crafting Stats, Woodwork Stats, Farming Stats and Stealth Stats. Most of these should be pretty self explanatory. Apothecary Stats might need explaining though. That's potion brewing, basically. Woodwork is basically Carpentry. The rest should speak for themselves. The more you use these Stats, the more points you earn for them, and the more you level them up. Higher levels allow you to craft new items, use new weapons, achieve new feats, and so on. You can only train Build Stats through repeated use however. The next Major Class is Key Stats, of which there are eight. Key Stats are combat-oriented skills. The eight Key Stats are Health, Strength, Charisma, Armour, Reflex, Agility, Stamina and Arcana. I think I only need to explain Charisma, which is also considered a Grey Area Stat, since it isn't solely a combat stat. In battles, Charisma is used for intimidation, negotiation or deceit. Outside of battle it's used for conversational purposes, diplomacy, deception, and haggling. Having a high Charisma Level means you can sell your items for more money and buy new ones for less, as an example. Key Stats each receive a small boost whenever you level up. At every other level, players also receive Key Points, six of them, which can be used to raise Key Stats by one level per point. Choosing which Key Stats to increase can be tricky. Having a high Health Level means more HP and faster regeneration, but there's no boost to defence. Having a high Armour Level means that you take less damage, but your Speed Penalty is unaffected. Each Stat has its pros and cons. Given that you only receive six Key Points, maintaining an even spread is difficult. Last but not least are the Attribute Stats. Again, there's eight of these, but they're almost never used in combat, overall. Attribute Stats have their greatest usage outside of combat. The Attribute Stats are Perception, Diplomacy, Deception, Analysis, Fortitude, Wisdom, Intelligence, and Religion. Perception is used for finding hidden objects or cloaked enemies, sensing irregularities, that sort of thing. It's basically an Instinct Stat. Diplomacy is self-explanatory, as is Deception. Analysis is similar to Perception, but while the latter is more generalised, the former is used in specific situations: detecting poisons in meals, examining animal tracks, appraising weapons, that sort of thing. Fortitude is basically just stamina. It determines how long you can endure scorching heat or freezing cold, how long you can survive without food or water, or how long it'll take for poison to wipe you out. Wisdom refers to profound knowledge, and ties in with Arcana, whereas Intelligence is more about problem solving, decoding encrypted messages, and that sort of thing. Lastly there's Religion. It's similar to Wisdom, but only relates to Divine or Abyssal knowledge. It can be used to seek guidance from certain Angels or Demons, which can be useful at times, but also dangerous. You never know when they're lying, unless you have a really high Analysis Level. Attribute Skills receive a moderate boost at every Prime Level, so that's Levels 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13 and so on. You also receive four Attribute points each time you level up, and those work the same as Key Points. Are you with me? Need any further explaining?” Kirito shakes his head.

“No, I think I've got it all now. So then, your Sword Stat is Level 21, which means that your Sword Skills can only rake up combos of up to twenty-one hits. Have I got that right?” Sora nods.

“That's spot on. Since I use my swords a lot though, I won't be Level 21 for long. I'd like to be Sword Level 30 before we hit the Tower of Kraler. My Throwing Skill's Level 10, and my Unarmed Skill's Level 12. If I can get those both above Level 20, that'd be awesome. Of course, that means my Character Level would be around about Level 10, which is fine by me.” Asuna chimes in.

“So is there any real point to the Character Levels then? You get boosts to certain stats, and you get certain points, but is there anything else?” Sora nods again.

“Quite a bit actually. Your Character Level is usually the sole prerequisite for undertaking quests. It's also a prerequisite for many of the stronger items, and for spells. Some NPCs will only speak to you once you're a certain level, some monsters won't attack you at all if your level's low enough, while weak monsters won't attack you if you're too high for them. Well, not until you start a fight with them anyway. The strongest monsters won't even attack you at all because their defences are too high, or their regeneration heals any damage you do. Some monsters prioritise targets based upon level as well. There's also race benefits that you unlock at certain levels. When I reach Character Level 10, I'll start growing wings. They won't be fully formed until I hit Character Level 14 though, which is also when I'll unlock a twenty-first Build Stat; for flying. Flight Stat is one of three race-specific Build Stats that I'm aware of, the other two being Tail Stat and Transformation Stat. Flight Stat is definitely the coolest though. The more I fly around, the longer I'll be able to fly for, the higher I'll be able to climb and faster I'll be able to go. If my Flight Stat and my Strength Stat become high enough, I'll be able to fly while carrying someone. If I can get both of those really high, I can carry two people, or certain monsters. That'd be cool, because I'd really like to get the Bombs Away Award.” Kirito frowns.

“The what?” Sora smiles.

“The Bombs Away Award. It's a special bonus you get for killing an Earth or Ice element monster by dropping it from a height exceeding one hundred meters. There's supposed to be a rare item that you can only get by earning the award, but I don't know which item. I know that there's a whole load of awards like this one, each one providing rare items. So, if you ever get the chance to pull off an especially flashy kill, take it. Chances are you can get an award for it. I know of a few of these awards, but there's supposed to be more than five thousand of them. The system was also supposed to add more once a player earned 90% of them, but I don't know if that'll still happen.” Sinon taps Sora on the shoulder.

“You wouldn't happen to know of an Award for archery by any chance, would you?” Sora holds up two fingers.

“Two of them as it happens. There's the Twin-kill Toes Award, which is for killing two monsters simultaneously with two arrows. Good luck with that one. Split shots are hard to pull off. There's also the Doyouthinkhesaurus Award for blinding a Dinosaur or a Dragon. Both eyes, not just one. And yes, there _are_ Dinosaurs in this game. If I remember rightly, they're called Behemoths though.” Sinon smiles appreciatively.

“I'll give them both a shot, even if they're hard. Thanks for the heads up though. I think I'd probably panic if I came face to face with a Dinosaur.” Sora shrugs.

“Don't worry about them too much. Most are fairly low level, around 15 to 20. There's a few mid-level as well, but no high level ones. I've fought against Dinosaurs in games before. The only ones you have to worry about are Raptors. Fast, smart, and pack-hunters. I'll warn you before we enter any area likely to have Dinosaurs, so keep your eyes peeled and your ears sharp. You'll probably fair the best out of all of us, since you can take them out at a distance. Cassiopeia on the other hand is at the opposite end of the spectrum. Those Daggers aren't going to help out if we get attacked by Raptors. You'll have to use a Race Power instead, or take cover.” Cassandra salutes.

“Roger.” Klein sighs.

“I really wish this game had notebooks. I'm never going to remember all of this.” Sora chuckles.

“It's a lot to take in, I know. Most of what I told you will either get ingrained into your long term memory, or else doesn't actually need to be memorised. There _are_ notes in this game though. Assuming things are quiet enough, I'll send everyone a compilation of notes that are worth remembering this evening. Important things, pretty much everything I know about this game really. I'll also send details of monsters we're likely to encounter the next day and outline strategies for defeating them. As long as you read through the notes before we set off again, we should all be fine. Fortunately for you guys, I've got a pretty good memory. Not quite photographic, but there isn't much that I forget, so I'll try to put that to the best use I can. As I said before, DCO has borrowed a lot of ideas and monsters from other games, so the knowledge I've gathered from them should help us out here, somewhere along the way.” Sinon smiles.

“You've done a lot to help us prepare for what lies ahead, and it looks like you're ready to sacrifice your time to help us out even more. Is there anything we can do to help you in return?” Sora smiles mischievously, running a little way ahead before turning back to face everyone.

“Yeah, you could come up with a guild name. Technically, we haven't formed a guild yet. We'll need to do that, otherwise we can't take on the Guild Quests that I'm taking us to. Try to make it awesome, and nothing about ponies, unicorns or sparkly vampires. I implore you.” Klein is first to pitch a name.

“Ooh ooh! How about the Dragon Slayers?” Sora shakes his head.

“It's been taken. So has the Guild of Dragon Slayers, the Dragon Slaughtering Alliance and the Guild of Reducing Dragons to Slices of Dragon Pepperoni. Don't ask, I don't know myself.” Klein looks put out. Asuna looks pensive.

“In SAO, I was second-in-command of the Knights of the Blood Oath, would that work?” Sora looks offended by the suggestion, and more than a little angry.

“You want to name our Guild after an Alliance run by a crazed bastard who trapped ten thousand people in a game? Roughly four thousand people died because of Akihiko Kayaba including... Well, it doesn't matter. Reality Bytes actually like him, in a twisted fashion. The SAO incident is one of the biggest weapons in their arsenal, along with the Death Gun killings and the Dragon's Reign Online incident. However you look at it, that guild name won't work.” Asuna looks a little disappointed, while Sinon looks at Sora with concern. _Again, he's upset because of SAO. He's definitely lost someone to that game. He must have done. Nothing else can explain why hearing about it hurts him. This time though, he nearly revealed who it was that he lost. Whoever it was, he blames Kayaba for their passing_. Kirito looks lost in thought.

“Reality Bytes chose an unusual name for themselves. At first, I thought it was a spelling error, but a 'byte' is also a unit of computer memory. That simple spelling decision made their name more effective for their purposes. They're a group that opposes the virtual world, believing only in the sanctity of reality. They chose to spell 'Bytes' the way they did in order to suggest that they would fight for reality, against the virtual world, using their skills as hackers. What we need is something that tells everyone we oppose Reality Bytes, that we will defend the virtual world using any means at our disposal.” Sora nods.

“Those are the same lines I've been thinking along, but so far all I can come up with are cheap puns. VR Strikes Back, AmuSphere and Loathing in Reality, Stop Getting on my NerveGear. Crap like that basically.” Sinon thinks about this.

“Actually, I think a pun might work better than you realise. The spelling of 'Bytes' in itself can be considered a pun. So, how about 'Byte Me, Reality'?” Sora snorts.

“Well, it's certainly a better pun than I could come up with. I've often felt like telling reality to bite me. It can also be taken as a direct challenge to Reality Bytes, inviting them to try biting. If you take it down to its acronym form, it works on another level there. 'BMR' is an acronym for 'Bare Metal Restore', which is the reformatting of a computer from scratch after a catastrophic failure. When I think about it, that is something we need to do. Not with computers, but with Virtual Reality. We need to fix all of the bugs in it, and make absolutely sure that no one can possibly kill with VR ever again. No more SAO incidents, no more DRO incidents, and no more DCO incidents either. I know that with SAO and DCO at least, the problems have been caused by people, but we need new systems in place that can protect players from these evil people. The AmuSphere has a system like that. If a player's pulse elevates too high, it will log the player out of the game automatically. Well it _should_ , but Reality Bytes have overridden _that_ protocol as well it seems. What we need is something that allows the automatic logout to occur in a crisis. Say, if the player tries to dive for an extensive period of time, it should be able to verify that they want to stay in or if they need pulling out. Of course, that could probably be blocked, so backups would be needed. There's all kinds of things we could do, that we _need_ to do really. This crisis needs to be used to show the world that VR needs to be made safer, _not_ that it needs to be shut down completely. If we defeat Reality Bytes... no... _when_ we defeat Reality Bytes, we need make sure that the world _knows_ this wasn't caused by Virtual Reality, but by _people_. We need to protect the Virtual World. For those who love it, for those who were lost in it, and for those who are working so hard to make it better. I'll protect it, to my dying breath. I know that there are others who will do likewise. Anyone who has any fondness for the Virtual World should do their part to protect it I say.” Kirito nods approvingly.

“You'll get no argument from me. I want to protect this world not just for Asuna and Yui's sake, but for the sake of all the friends I've made and the good people I've met thanks to VR. I don't know anyone who wouldn't defend this world. Even amongst the SAO survivors. Sure, it took two years from our lives, but the friends we've made, and the time we've regained, I wouldn't trade it for anything.” The others all seem to nod in agreement. Even Cassandra seems to approve. Sinon looks a little surprised.

“So, you want to name the guild 'Byte Me, Reality'?” Everyone nods at this. Sora works through his menus quickly, creating the alliance and sending out the invites. As Sinon accepts the invite, she notices with shock that she is the Guild Leader.

“Wait! You want _me_ to be the leader? What about you? _You're_ the one leading us around!” Sora folds his arms with a mischievous smile.

“That just makes me the Navigator. A leader doesn't lead the way, they direct everyone else to do that. Leaders can't be on the frontlines. They need to remain further back, where they can assess the situation and survey the battle around them. They also need to have a cool head and a logical mind. That's not me at all. I'm a frontline brawler. I can only see what's right before me, most of the time. I can be hot headed and volatile, and I tend to live on instinct. I'm not leadership material. I'm a fighter not a leader. The best I can do is advise you. I can't lead you. Another important trait a successful leader needs is trust. Not just to have trust in their subordinates, but to be trusted by them as well. These are your friends. They know you. They trust you. I'm just some guy they met a few hours ago. If I took the leader position this guild would fracture and fall apart in no time at all. We'll all die because of me. I won't accept that. I can't be the cause of any more deaths, and certainly not ours.” Asuna frowns at this.

“That doesn't change the fact that you're the one doing the leading at the moment, telling us what to do and where to go. You seem to be making all the decisions.” Sora shakes his head.

“No, not really. Anything that's actually important, I'll consult with the rest of you. I haven't actually told any of you to do anything yet. You could refuse at any time, but you've chosen to follow me around. It's not that you trust me, it's that you're aware of the fact that I know what I'm doing. I know I'm being a bit pushy at the moment, dragging everyone around, and I apologise for that. There _is_ a reason for it though. We've already had a guild make an attempt at the Tower of Kraler sooner than they should have. They were a team of Level 3s and 4s. Aside from Sinon and myself, you're all Level 1. If we take on the Tower now, we'll all be killed. I can't protect you from everything. I'm not strong enough for that. I'm Counter Point, not Virtual Demon. Once we've concluded our business at the Cave of Origins, I'll step back from leading you all around, and take on my advisory role. Your maps all have the route we're best off taking, so you won't need me to navigate. My knowledge of the geography of this world is extremely limited, so my use as a Navigator is almost expended. Once we start on the Path of Destiny, I'll only be able to fight and advise, nothing more. Which is another reason we're heading to the Cave of Origins; to allow Sinon to see how I fight, and how I behave in combat. As the Leader, she'll need that information to best determine how to coordinate my movements with the rest of you. That also stands as another reason I can't lead you: I don't know how you all fight, which combinations of you to use for team fighting. Memorising that information for one or two of you I could probably manage, but all of you? That's not something I can do all at once. Not quickly anyway. It'd take weeks for me to fully get to grips. That's too long. So, Sinon is the logical choice. She only has to evaluate Cassiopeia and myself, since she already knows the rest of you. You've fought as a team in ALO for a few years now, right? That's vital experience I don't have. I've never even been second-in-command of a guild. I'm almost always on the frontlines. It's where I make sense.” Sinon sighs in resignation.

“Alright alright, you've made your point. About three hundred of them. I can see there's no use arguing with you. I'll give it a shot, but when this all goes to Hell, I'm shoving an arrow up your arse.” Sora smiles broadly, presenting a peace sign.

“If that happens, I'll bend over and present the target. Don't worry about it so much. If you slip up I'll be there to support you. I can do that much at least. I doubt you'll need me to though. Unless you decide to ignore my advice, chances are pretty good that nothing catastrophic will happen. Just remember that no matter what happens: I got your back. I can't guarantee I've got the rest of you, but I got your back.” Sinon looks at him sardonically, but Suguha speaks before Sinon can.

“Hey Nebula, what's that glowing ring on the ground behind you?” Sora spins around and looks at the floor. He sounds strangely excited when he speaks.

“Oh! Teleport Ring. Sweet! I didn't think there'd be one here. That's pretty cool. When we're done in the Cave of Origins, we can use the Teleport Ring to return to Kraler, save us having to walk back. That's a relief. I don't like walking the main roads. Not with Red Players out in the wild. They'll be watching the roads looking for prey. I've had a nagging feeling of being watched the whole time since we left town. I wouldn't be surprised if there's Red Players waiting in the trees. Oh, they won't attack right now. They'll wait for us to finish questing, so that they can loot our corpses and run off with our hard-earned rewards. I was about to say 'over my dead body', but that's kind of the whole point.” The group looks around nervously, hands on weapons. Kirito seems to be the most calm, after Sora. He steps to the Hellborne's side and crouches by the Teleport Ring.

“So this'll get us back to town quickly huh? What's it doing _here_ though?” Sora points northwards without looking.

“The Cave of Origins is just there, so it makes sense to have the Ring close by. It's not active yet though, and it won't be until we finish a quest here.” Everyone except Sora looks to where he's pointing, seeing the mountain range looming over them, and two gaping cave entrances roughly eight meters in diameter, separated by a metre-thick wall. Klein asks the question on everyone's mind.

“How did we not see that sooner?” Sora sighs as he looks at the caves himself.

“I don't know, but it worries me. Those aren't concealed entrances, so you don't need a high Perception Level to see them. If you were all so easily distracted by me talking, then we might as well drop dead here, before we get killed by traps later on. Promise me you'll all work on improving your alertness and your awareness of the surroundings. I could do without getting stabbed in the back because you're all too busy watching a bunch of chickens running around, or whatever.” Sinon pats Sora on the shoulder.

“We'll do our best. So, what's the plan? Why exactly did you bring us to the Cave of Origins? I thought you said the cave was a source of goodness anyway?” Sora takes a moment to collect himself.

“The cave on the left is the _real_ Cave of Origins. That's the source of goodness. The one on the right, to my knowledge, doesn't have an actual name, but being adjacent to the Cave of Origins makes it a bit pointless to name. Anyway, while I was speaking with Persia earlier, she told me that there are two low-level quests available here; a Level 2 Quest and a Level 5 Quest. I thought it would be a good place to do some power levelling. Also, no-one else has attempted these quests yet, so the best rewards are still up for grabs. This is our chance to get our hands on some Rare Items. The Level 2 Quest is a straightforward Slaughter-type quest. Monsters will spawn in en masse, we just have to kill them. Persia informs me that this will be the harder of the two, and stingy in its rewards, but very good for levelling up. There's also going to be a low-level boss, Level 3 or 4 at the most. Once we complete it, I'll assess the situation and see if we're fit for the Level 5 Quest. That's supposed to be a little easier, with greater rewards, but lacking in XP and more time consuming to boot. First things first though. Focus on getting the most usage out of your weapons you can in order to maximise your Stat boosting. Refrain from using items, let Asuna heal you so that she can get the XP as well. Sinon and I will hold back on the killing so that the rest of you can level up faster. If you're in danger, we'll bail you out, but beyond that we'll be focusing on defending rather than killing. We'll still get plenty of XP, so don't worry about hogging. I'd recommend you draw weapons now. Once the quest starts, we'll probably be tossed in the deep end. These will be Level 1 monsters, maybe Level 2. Expect Rats, Slimes, Kobolds and Giant Beetles. Maybe Bats as well. Keep your eyes peeled at all times. I don't think we need to worry about traps, but I'd rather be paranoid than dead.” Kirito and the others draw swords and knives, preparing themselves for combat. Sora draws the Fine Longsword +2, as well as the Parrying Dagger. _It's not like I can do much killing with these anyway. The Longsword doesn't have that much durability, and its base damage score is 12-22 hit points. It'll take two or three normal hits to kill a Giant Beetle, and this isn't a High Crit weapon. I'm going to have to rely on Sword Skills to keep up with these guys, unless I can get my hands on a better weapon. I really need one. The Longsword's lack of durability means it'll shatter after about five hundred hits, at the most._ Sora spins the sword around his hand with a disappointed sigh.

“Alright, well, if you're all ready, then let's go level up.” Sora leads the way to the cave entrance, where a Quest Notification appears, hanging in mid-air.

“Level 2 Quest: Rattling Sabres. Do you accept?” Sora presses 'Accept', and monsters spawn within the cave. A dozen massive rats appear, along with seven mounds of green jelly, a half dozen meter-high lizard-like Humanoids with patchy fur, and a pair of three-meter-tall Stag Beetles. Sora charges straight in, ignoring the rats and the Slimes, heading straight for the closest Stag Beetle. The Kobolds try to stab him as he runs past, but he parries their attacks almost absent-mindedly, while an arrow kills one of their number. Kirito and Klein rush the remaining Kobolds, hacking and slashing with great haste. Suguha focuses on the rats, while Yui and Cassiopeia bombard the Slimes with spells. Agil engages the other Stag Beetle, with Sora giving pointers.

“Wait until after it attacks before thrusting between the mandibles. Slam hard with the shield to knock it off balance. The underside is softer, so aim their if you can't stab it in the mouth.” Sora's Stag Beetle lunges at him, silencing him as he jumps back, avoiding the pincers. Agil slams his own Stag Beetle with his shield, flipping it over. He thrusts the sword into the Beetle's throat, killing it.

“A perfect kill! You'll get bonus Shield and Sword points for that.” Sora spins while leaping forwards, delivering a powerful roundhouse kick to his Stag Beetle, sending it airborne. He launches himself after the bug and cuts it in half with a vicious swing. As he lands, more monsters spawn in. Rats, Slimes and Kobolds rush towards the group. An arrow whistles past Sora's head, piercing and killing five bats in a row.

“Amazing shot Sinon! You'll probably get an award for that!” Six Kobolds swarm around Sora, forcing him to engage them. Parrying them is easy, but holding back on killing is difficult for him to do. He accidentally decapitates two of them with a casual swing of his sword. _Huh. Even with this sheep-biter I can still wipe the floor with Level 1 monsters. Guess I underestimated my stat modifiers then. Kirito on the other hand is having to dual-wield to keep up with me, and it's taking two or three hits to kill each monster. That won't last forever. He's determined to catch up to my level. I can see it in his eyes. Well, you can certainly try, Black Swordsman, but you'll never live up to my_ true _power_. A Kobold slashes his shins, bringing Sora's attention back to the battle with a yelp. He boots the Kobold, slamming it into the wall, then notices that Agil is getting surrounded by rats the size of greyhounds. Sora runs towards Agil, kicking the dazed Kobold into the rats, the impact killing it. Sora cuts apart four rats and distracts several more, giving Agil the breathing room to finish them all off.

“Nice timing. Things were starting to get hairy.” Sora nods.

“I'll try to keep a closer eye in future. I let my mind wander. I figure we've got one more wave of mobs before the boss appears.” The group rounds a bend, and dozens of monsters spawn in. Rats the size of wolves, blue cube-shaped Slimes, floating skulls with glowing red eyes, and half a dozen giant beetles; four metres tall, with an orange glow emanating from their abdomens.

“I'll take the Beetles. Sinon; you take out those Skulls. We'll leave the rest to you guys.” Sora charges forwards before anyone can react. An arrow enveloped in white light pierces the closest floating skull, punching through one of the red eyes. Sora springboards off the lead rat, sailing over the rodents and the Slimes, landing in the midst of the giant Beetles. One of them opens its jaws at Sora, and a wave of fire engulfs him. The group gasps in shock, and then the Beetle is beheaded. When the flames disappear, Sora stands unharmed. Klein looks dumbstruck.

“What... the Hell? Was that a spell?” Cassandra shakes her head.

“No, that's just the physics of this world. Nebula's a Hellborne, so he has a natural resistance to fire. Because of his high level, those Fire Beetles can't hurt him no matter how long they try to burn him for. They'll have to try and bite or crush him instead. If he'll let them.” Sinon slays a floating skull.

“He could have told me that before running in like an idiot. He nearly gave me a heart attack. Anyway, you guys should get going. Those Slimes have aggro against Sora at the moment, and Blue Slimes fire projectiles, so watch out for that. Like he said, I'll take care of the Skulls, so don't worry.” Kirito and the others shake off their shock to charge the rats and Slimes, shouting war cries to draw attention to themselves, even as Sora uses a Sword Skill to cut a Fire Beetle in half laterally. Despite their size, the rats aren't a match for Kirito and Klein, who seem to be racing each other to get the most kills. Suguha and Agil engage a Blue Slime each, while Yui and Cassandra bombard more Slimes. Sora is engulfed in flames once more, but pays no attention to it as he hacks a Fire Beetle to pieces. Sinon finishes picking off Skulls and rushes forwards, firing arrows at the two remaining Fire Beetles. Sora needs three swings to behead one, then spins around to thrust his sword into the mouth of the other. In its death throes, the Fire Beetle slams Sora into a wall, dazing him. Almost immediately, his health is restored by Asuna. Sinon helps him stand, noticing that his robes are strangely cool, and not even slightly charred despite twice being engulfed by flames.

“You ok?” Sora nods.

“Peachy. I used to be quite the head-banger back in the day.” Sinon rolls her eyes, but smiles anyway. A shadow falls over them as a Blue Slime approaches, sliding fast on the downhill slope. Sora rears his head, then snaps it forwards, spitting a fireball from his mouth. The fireball blasts a hole in the Blue Slime. Two more spells hit it from behind, and the Slime melts into the ground. Sora and Sinon walk back towards the others. Agil and Suguha pant slightly, a little exhausted from fighting. Cassandra, Yui and Asuna seem to be in top shape. War cries continue a few metres away as Kirito and Klein finish slaughtering rats.

“Take your time you two. It's not like we've all finished fighting here.” Klein starts walking back. As Kirito turns away, a new monster spawns in. Sora gasps in horror as he sees it: A colossal snake, maybe fourteen metres long and two metres high, its body covered in razor sharp blades. Even its curved fangs are blades. Three health bars appear, and the boss' name: Sabre Rattler. _That's a Level 6 Boss! What the Hell? We're not ready for that. Hell, the highest boss I've fought so far was half that! Kirito's in danger, he has to pull back now!_ Kirito turns back, staring at Sabre Rattler, and adopts an aggressive stance. He is dimly aware of Sinon's shout.

“Come back!” Another shout follows almost immediately.

“Saerinar!” A new monster spawns right in front of Kirito: A Demon wielding two longswords. Kirito stumbles back in shock, falling on his backside. He looks up at the Demon, and gets a feeling of déjà vu. _Wait, isn't that Otirik?_ The Demon disappears as Sora charges through it, leaping towards Sabre Rattler. The snake opens its jaws wide as Sora falls into them. Sora disappears into the fang-filled mouth, and Sabre Rattler snaps its jaws shut. Kirito blinks, and all three of Sabre Rattler's health bars empty completely. The snake disintegrates, and Sora drops out, landing lightly. He swings the longsword twice, spins it around his hand, and sheaths it, completing his victory flourish. A notification fills the air.

“Congratulations! Quest completed!” 

Reward menus appear in front of each player. Sora examines his earnings with satisfaction. _A total of twelve hundred gold coins, two healing potions, a short sword, some iron ore, and a Teleport Crystal. Seven hundred XP as well. I levelled up once each in Sword and Unarmed. Ah! Here we go: Boss Rewards. I got the One-Hit Kill Bonus. Fifteen hundred gold coins, two thousand XP, and... a Super Rare Item? Good God! That's a Lancinating Masterwork Wounding Adamantine Sabre of Speed +5! I'm only just capable of wielding it! Critical Hit probability is 55%, with a base damage score of 65-105 hit points. I can slaughter so many monsters with a single hit using this sword. Especially when you factor in my strength bonus. I really hit the jackpot here!_ Sora moves his longsword into his inventory, and equips the Sabre. He draws the sword, marvelling at the sight of the slightly curved blade, which shines brightly, and looks as though it is composed of liquid platinum. There is a hint of a green aura surrounding the blade. He swings the sabre, hearing it sing as it slices through the air. He sheaths the sabre again, and hears someone clear their throat. Sinon glares at him disapprovingly.

“You know, it's taking all of my self-restraint to stop me from punching you right now. That wasn't just reckless, it was _insane_! Are you trying to get yourself killed? Do you have any idea how much you scared me doing that?” Sora averts his gaze, looking hurt and saddened.

“I'm sorry. I just reacted on instinct. When I saw Kirito not backing down, I just acted. I didn't think. I didn't mean to scare you like that. My only concern was not letting Kirito get himself killed.” Sinon looks a little ashamed with herself. _Idiot! Don't be so hard on him! You know what he's like by now, so cut him some slack_. She sighs, and sits down on a rock.

“I'm sorry too. I don't mean to lecture you. It's just... we need you. _I_ need you. I'm depending on you to help us get through this. If you want me to lead this Guild, I'm going to need you here to support me. So, at least tell me before you do something so impulsive.” Sora sits down next to her.

“I'll try. The problem is, I tend to come up with these plans on the spur of the moment. I can't warn you of something that even _I_ don't know I'm going to do. Even so, I'll try to avoid being so reckless in future. You're right, I need to stay alive. I can't just up and leave after dropping the leader role on you. I'm supposed to be your advisor.” Sinon sits silently for a moment. _This is going to be pretty tense from now on, I can tell. If only I knew how he felt about me. I'm sure that he'd calm down and think more logically if we were together. He can play fast and loose with his life like this because... because he has no-one to lose? Is that really what's going on here? Is Sora all alone now? I can't think what else it could be. Sora has nothing to lose, and as a result: he's dangerous. To himself as much as to the enemy. So then, he needs something to lose, something to fight for, something to balance him out and make him think. I need to be that something. I need to support him, as I need him to support me_. Sora's voice brings Sinon back to earth.

“So, did you get an award for that five-bat kill?” Sinon nods.

“Yup. What was it called again? Oh yeah, 'Shish Ke-bat'. Are all the awards puns?” Sora chuckles.

“Certainly seems that way. Did you get anything good for it?” Sinon shrugs.

“Not sure. I got an Amulet of Dexterity x3. I was hoping for a new bow if I'm honest.” Sora smiles at this.

“Yeah, I can imagine. Still, the Amulet will help out. Quite a lot actually. Your evasiveness will be increased, and your athletic and acrobatic abilities will benefit as well. Having a multiplication enhancement rather than a plus enhancement is great as well. Your Dexterity will be tripled. As an Elven Archer, Dexterity should be one of your highest stats. Add this to it, and you'll be nigh untouchable. If we ever need to enter a race, you'll be sure to win it.” Sinon thinks about this for a moment.

“I see. I guess that's pretty handy after all. So what about you? There's no way you can kill a boss without getting rewarded. Heavily.” Sora nods.

“That's true. My Character Level's 9 now. I didn't get any Stat Points, but that's fine. I'm Sword Level 23 now, and I'm Unarmed Level 13.” Sinon looks expectantly.

“Wait, is that it?” Sora draws the Sabre.

“And this, Super Rare Item. A Lancinating Masterwork Wounding Adamantine Sabre of Speed +5. Critical Hit Probability of 55% and a base damage score of 65-105.” Sinon's jaw drops.

“Now _that's_ a reward! 65-105? That'll kill just about anything under Level 4 in one hit, especially given your Sword Level and Strength Level. Wait... you _can_ use it, right?” Sora nods.

“Just about. My Sword, Strength and Agility Levels only just became high enough to wield it. Even _that_ is thanks to me being a Sword Mage. Sword Prerequisites are lower for Sword Mages and Two-Sword Rangers than they are for any other Class. If I was a Paladin for example, I'd need to be Character Level 18, Sword Level 40, and have 80 Strength and Agility Points. That's why it's classified as Super Rare. It _should_ be unusable for someone of my Level. If, you know, I wasn't me.” Sinon smiles.

“Then it's a good thing you _are_ you, because you are pretty amazing.” Sora smiles at Sinon, making her heart race.

“You're pretty amazing yourself. The first Sniper to ever shoot me in GGO is one astonishing achievement, but you're managing to keep up with me here as well. You're Character Level 5 now, right? Don't forget to use your Attribute Points. I'd recommend Perception, Analysis, Fortitude and Intelligence, but that's just me.” Sinon nods.

“Great minds think alike, because those are what I've been focusing on. I'm guessing that you go for Wisdom instead of Intelligence, but otherwise the same. Right?” Sora looks faintly surprised.

“You really _have_ been boosting Intelligence and Perception. You're exactly right. I've never been much of a diplomat, and I only lie when the truth will hurt people. Religion is not something I believe in, and Intelligence is something I have in the real world, to an extent anyway. As a Sword Mage, I need Wisdom, not Intelligence. I use Perception to spot traps and spies, Analysis to detect poisons and study tracks, and Fortitude... well we've got a long and arduous journey ahead of us, so I'll need a lot of Fortitude.” Sora looks about, seeing the others sitting not far off, examining their earnings and using their Stat Points.

“Tell the others that we'll take a short break while I plan our next move. Oh, and be sure to chastise Kirito for trying to take on Sabre Rattler. If it wasn't for my... suicidal move, he'd be sushi right about now. I get that he's a big shot in ALO and whatever, but this isn't ALO. This isn't even Sword Art Online. This is worse than that. The difficulty has been ramped up endlessly. He needs to correct his attitude before he gets not only himself killed, but the rest of us too.” Sinon pats Sora on the shoulder.

“Easy tiger, try not to tear him a new one just yet. This is just how Kirito is. He was the same when I first met him in GGO. He'd only been playing a couple of hours before throwing himself straight into the BoB. Still, you're right. He needs to stop trying to compete with you, and focus on surviving instead. You and I both know he can't match you anyway.” Sora nods, grinning slightly.

“That's true. No-one other than me has defeated a boss solo in New Aincrad. I didn't do it just the once either, but eleven times running. Not that he knows that of course. I'd prefer it if he didn't find out until this crisis is resolved. I'm sorry, I know I'm asking a lot of you at the moment, but I promise you, it's better for everyone in the long run.” Sinon grasps Sora's hand reassuringly for a moment.

“Don't worry about it. I'm getting a pretty good idea of how your mind works, so you don't need to explain. Alright, time for me to bend Kirito's ear. Literally.” Sinon stands, her hand slipping from Sora's, and she walks over to the others. As she twists Kirito's ear, giving him a stern talking to, Sora looks at his right hand strangely, feeling warmth lingering there. _That's... weird. Why does my hand feel warm still? That's never happened before. I've had girls grabbing my hand for years, so I'm accustomed to it, but none of them have ever felt so warm, or so reassuring. I don't quite understand. Is it... because she's Sinon? But that in itself doesn't make any kind of sense!_ Sora sighs.

“I hate my brain.” He opens up his menu, switching over to his Friend List. He scrolls down a short way, and sees Persia's name. He senses Sinon returning as he opens the message box.

“The others seem quite happy to rest for now. Everyone's levelled up twice. Even Asuna, considering she didn't fight. They're debating how best to spend their Stat Points. So, who're you messaging?” Sora doesn't turn around as he starts typing.

“Persia. She needs to be updated about this quest. Her info was wrong, so I'm sending her a corrected report.” Sinon sits next to Sora again, and reads Sora's message as he types it.

“Persia. Just completed Level 2 Quest. You should know that it's very different from your intel. Twenty-four Kobolds, a total of twenty-one rats over their three sizes, sixteen Green Slimes, eight Blue Slimes, two Stag Beetles, four Fire Beetles, five Wind Skulls, fourteen Bats. Levels range from 1 to 3. Boss was Level 6, name: Sabre Rattler. Three health bars, high attack strength and agility. Advise guilds to use tanks, archers and wizards, and have at least two healers on standby. Rewards are pretty stingy as you said, barring the Super-Rare Item. I grabbed that. Used a Sword Skill to One-hit Sabre Rattler. DO NOT ADVISE THAT! It was a suicidal move that should not have succeeded. If I wasn't me, it wouldn't have. Sabre Rattler will now only drop Rare Items. All party members levelled up twice barring Sinon and myself who levelled up once each. I'm attaching Monster Files to this message, so make good use of them. Sinon earned an undiscovered award too. 'Shish Ke-bat'. Kill five bats with one arrow. Reward is an Amulet of Dexterity x3. What's your recommendation for the Level 5 Quest? Sora.” Sora adds several files detailing the monsters that they just fought against, and then sends the message. Sinon seems intrigued.

“So those were Wind Skulls? Never seen them before. I've seen Flame Skulls in other games though.” Sora nods.

“These are basically the same type of monster, but they use wind attacks instead of fire. They're Level 3 monsters, the weakest Skull monster I've ever encountered actually. Still, against a party of noobs, they're pretty devastating.” Sora receives a response from Persia, and Sinon reads it in her head, her expression becoming increasingly sour as she progresses.

“Sora. I appreciate the updates and the Monster Files. I've been in a pinch until now, so you just bailed me out. About the intel: disregard it all. QZR must have 'fixed' the encounters just before launch. That Level 5 Quest is going to be long and difficult. Then again, you're you. As long as the others don't get you killed, you'll all come back alive. I'm afraid I can't say what you'll be facing, or what you'll get in return for it. There's absolutely nothing I can say about it any more. QZR have screwed us both over with that fixing. It'll be harder than what you just faced, without a doubt. Accept it or reject it, I'll leave that up to you. I _would_ appreciate the extra info, but not if it kills you. Do what your heart tells you. Whatever you decide, come back safely. This Cat Girl wants to curl up with you and play 'Find the Needle in the Haystack'. I can't do that if you're dead, and there's no way I'm playing with myself. Unless you're watching. Persia.” The message is signed off with a row of kisses as well. Sinon grinds her teeth at the suggestive comments, while Sora merely tuts. He composes a quick response.

“Acknowledged disregard of intel. Also; keep your responses clean Persia, or I'll arrange for you to go on a date with Matilda. She's dying to give you big kiss on the lips.” Sinon frowns in confusion. _Matilda? Wait... wasn't that what he called his right fist? Bruce and Matilda?_

“Matilda was the name you gave to your right fist, wasn't it? Why _did_ you name your fists? And why _those_ names?” Sora laughs as he closes his menu.

“Well, mostly it's me being an idiot. There's no particular reason why I chose those names, although I _did_ want something a little intimidating. The naming of my fists started as a joke in ALO a few years ago. At least, the names were intended as a joke for that situation. I was ambushed by Salamanders and was not in the mood for a fight. I sought to end the dispute with humour. I'm a little ashamed that I used Persia's type of humour for that incident. Well, it worked. They were too busy laughing to stop me teleporting away. That being said though, there _is_ another reason for naming my fists. Something I learned when I was much much younger, before I discovered the Virtual World. 'Something that has a name, has a purpose.' That's what my father taught me, shortly after my sixth birthday.” Sinon hesitates, hiding her surprise. _His father? This is the first time Sora's ever said anything about his family. I wonder what he was like? Is he by his side right now, watching over him in this world? No, that can't be. I've already established that he fights the way he does because he has nothing to lose. So that means he's already lost him. Was it his father he lost to SAO, or someone else? I want to ask more, but I know what Sora will say. He already said it once, at the market. “I don't want to talk about that now!” Those were his words. “I want to focus on defeating Reality Bytes.” It would be best if I don't distract him. If Sora wants to talk about it with me, he'll do so. It's possible he's not ready to talk about it yet, or maybe it's because he doesn't know me well enough. Either way, I shouldn't pry into such private affairs_.

“There may well be wisdom to that saying. That being said, you didn't name your Estoc, did you? I never heard you refer to it by any kind of name at least.” Sora hums, intrigued.

“You're right about that. I didn't name that sword. Perhaps that is why it ended up shattering. In that case...” Sora draws the Sabre again, studying the blade intensely, deep in thought.

“I name this sword: Death Viper.” As Sinon looks at the sword, she sees the Item Name change to 'Death Viper'.

“Given your skill, even restrained as it has been, that sword's name will become well-known soon enough, I should imagine. Especially if you slay a high-level boss with it. Just be sure to take care of Death Viper. I'd hate for you to lose it as quickly as you lost the Estoc. So please, try to refrain from rolling your Destiny Die again. You've been lucky twice, consecutively no less, but your luck won't hold out forever. The more you use that thing, the more likely it is to kill you. I don't want to lose you, but I keep thinking that I will. First in the forest, when that Red Player stabbed you. Then again when you fought Elric, and now twice in this cave. Soloing Sabre Rattler wasn't the only moment I feared for your life. When the Fire Beetles engulfed you in flames, I thought you were a goner. I didn't know you had Fire Resistance, I thought you were going to die. Even when that last Beetle smashed you into the wall, I thought you were seriously hurt. You shook it off with a joke though, as I've come to expect now I think. Even so, I worry about you. I can't predict what you're going to do, and you seem to find new and creative ways of simultaneously endangering your life and giving me heart attacks. All this worrying about you is going to make me old before my time.” Sora grabs Sinon's hand unexpectedly, but also comfortingly. His eyes shine with guilt.

“I'm sorry, Sinon. I didn't know. I didn't realise you were worrying about me. It's... not something that I'm used to. I've almost always been alone. The few times I _am_ in a group, the others leave me to my own devices, trusting me to look after myself as I always have. It's an alien concept for me to try and come to terms with: that there are people who worry about me, that there are people who are genuinely concerned about my well-being. I'll do what I can to try and stop causing you anxiety, but I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to bear with me. Changing my behaviour, my habits, it's not something I can accomplish at the drop of a hat. There's also going to be times when I return to my old ways, and act recklessly again. Times when I need to protect you. Times when only my instinct will prevent death or disaster. When you live on instinct for as long as I have, it becomes second nature. Logic has never been my defining characteristic. I only plan ahead _between_ battles, not in the midst of them. Trying to change that... it's going to be difficult, but it might be for the best in the long run that I do. I also want to try and make things as easy on you as possible. This is a nightmare situation we're caught up in. The last thing you need is me adding to your workload by creating problems. I need to be trying to help you solve them. No, that's not right. What I _really_ need to be doing, is preventing problems from arising to begin with.” Sinon smiles softly.

“Thank you. For understanding, and for agreeing to help me, even though it'll cause you problems. I know it's a lot to ask, but when I consider the alternatives, the thought of losing you fills me with dread. I know you have all of this skill, that you've used it to become the best gamer in the world, but this isn't a game. Not any more. I know that that's shocked you. I've known it, ever since you were stabbed. That was when you realised that you can really die here, no matter how skilled you are. I'll do everything I can to help you with this, and to help you survive it, but I need your help as well. Help me to help you Sora. Please.” Sora sits silently for a moment.

“It's funny isn't it? All this time, I believed I was right. Then in an instant, the one fundamental truth I've been telling myself for years gets snatched away from me, and the truth that she tried to teach me, the truth that I refused, it's exactly that which is stopping me from living up to my reputation.” Sinon frowns, confused.

“Sora?” He glances at her.

“I was just remembering something, from when I first started out as Virtual Demon, after my year long break from gaming. I had just started playing Alfheim Online. I was an adventurous yet completely unskilled noob. While taking a walk through the forest between Spriggan and Undine territory, I got ambushed by a pack of Wolves. I knew I wasn't really going to die, so I fought against them, even though I could barely wield my toothpick of a sword. And that's when _she_ showed up. An Undine by the name of Nefertiti. She came to my rescue, killed all but one of the wolves, and left the last one for me to train against. After the battle, she told me that I needed to treat the game as reality, to believe that I really could die. She told me that I'd never become a good player otherwise. I could never do it though. It was just a game. A game can be beaten, so I devoted myself to beating it. When the tables were turned and I saved her from a group of Minotaurs, I don't know why, but I found myself getting angry with her. She let an irrational fear of death paralyse her in battle. I told her that she'd got it backwards, that believing she would die was going to keep her weak. Whether she believed me or not remains to be seen. We became good friends after that. For a while. Until the Spriggan-Undine Alliance was formed, and I was made Ambassador.” Sinon remembers Sora talking about being ambassador, and a question arises.

“I've been meaning to ask you about that. Earlier, you said that you were the Ambassador for that alliance, and that Counter Point was as well. In fact, I know that myself. Both Counter Point and Virtual Demon _are_ Ambassadors for the Spriggan-Undine Alliance, but, are there really _two_ Ambassadors?” Sora shakes his head.

“Not exactly, no. Counter Point is my secondary account, one with a very specialised stat build, whereas my Virtual Demon account has a much broader focus. With the former, I'm strictly a Speed-Strength type, using only straight, one-handed swords. With the latter, I'll use anything. Bows, Axes, Hammers, Shields, Swords, Fists. Literally anything. If I can weaponise it, I can use it, to deadly effect. Virtual Demon has ten Legendary Weapons, of varying classes, while Counter Point only has Durandal. I didn't originally intend to be a Spriggan for both accounts, but only Spriggans can wield Durandal apparently, so I chose to be one again.” Sinon nods, looking intrigued.

“I see. Maintaining two accounts must be pretty tricky. I know Asuna has trouble with it. She plays as a Sylph and as an Undine. Her Undine account is her main one, where she takes on the role of the Berserk Healer.” Sora raises an eyebrow.

“Do all of you have nicknames like that? The Berserk Healer, the Black Swordsman, the Blacksmith Goddess? I've heard people refer to you as the 'Ice Sniper' in GGO as well. You guys certainly seem to be very well known.” Sinon shrugs.

“It can't be helped. People just like affixing nicknames to us. You know what it's like, right? After all, it's random people who started referring to you as the VR Nightmare. It seems that if we have one defining feature, people will latch onto that and refer to us by it. Asuna's a skilled Healer, and she can get pretty crazy with her Rapier. I often come off as an emotionless Sniper. Kirito's a sword user who always dresses in black. If I had to guess, I'd say that people do it not only as a means of avoiding being too informal with us, but also as a form of worship.” Sora thinks about this for a moment.

“So what you're saying is that the people who give us these names are really just idiotic fanatics who want to worship us as deities instead of developing the skills to become deities in their own right? Jeez, kids these days sure ride the Short Bus huh?” Sinon bursts out laughing. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Across the cave, Asuna looks over at the pair, seeing Sinon struggling to breathe through the laughter.

“Those two sure seem to be getting along well. I don't think I've ever seen Sinon being so friendly with anyone that quickly before. She's usually more introverted than that. Especially with guys. She tends to be pretty frosty with them.” Yui hovers a little way in front of Asuna and Kirito, watching Sinon and Sora laughing and talking, happily smiling away.

“I'm glad they're getting along so well.” Kirito looks up at Yui curiously.

“How come? I mean, I've got nothing against them being friends, of course not. I'm just curious as to why you seem so relieved by it.” Yui lands on a rock, and turns to face Kirito and Asuna. Suguha, Klein, Agil and Cassandra also listen in.

“It's mostly for _his_ sake. Nebula. Whenever he's around Sinon, talking casually like this, his emotions are almost completely stable, and very positive. He seems to be permanently relaxed and upbeat in Sinon's presence.” Asuna raises an eyebrow.

“Have you been monitoring Nebula's emotional state?” Yui nods.

“Ever since he was stabbed in the forest. I've been concerned about his well-being this whole time. Nebula's emotional state has been in a severe state of fluctuation ever since I started monitoring him. His emotions are almost always negative, except at times like this. Even when he seems indifferent, he is actually feeling despair, sorrow, and guilt. His emotions reached their lowest level following the fight with Elric Titanslayer. After Sinon followed him, Sora's emotions flat-lined. The despair, regret and hatred were almost overwhelming, and he was at a 42% suicide risk. Right now, his emotions are the highest they've ever been. No sorrow, no pain, no anger. Nothing negative at all. It seems to be a result of speaking with Sinon. When he met with his friend in the tavern, his emotions barely reached a level of indifference. He was quite despondent during that meeting, even though Persia is a friend of his. Something about Sinon is uplifting his spirits exponentially.” The group looks at Sora, who seems to be stifling laughter, while Sinon talks excitedly. As Sinon makes a wildly energetic gesture, Sora loses the fight against his laughter, his merriment echoing loudly within the cave. Kirito becomes lost in thought. _So, Sinon is keeping him positive? I wonder if she knows that she's doing it? I've only had a few hours to observe them myself, but Yui's analysis seems to be spot on. Sinon seems to enjoy being in Nebula's company just as much as he enjoys being in hers. The two give off a vibe of being old friends, yet they hardly know anything about each other. She trusts him though, I can tell that much. She wouldn't go along with everything he says otherwise. It's impossible to know just how far that trust extends, and whether it's mutual to the same extent, but they definitely seem to trust each other. Nebula seems to fight much more confidently when he knows Sinon is watching his back. Against Skyward Hunter, and against Otirik, he was much more methodical. The only anomaly so far is the fight against Elric. Nebula didn't hold back. Not for a second. He fights the same way when Sinon is backing him up. Even so, I get the feeling that Nebula is restraining himself in some way. I don't think we've seen the full extent of his skills. In both the fight against Otirik, and the fight against Elric, Nebula displayed a much higher level of skill than in any other contest. I haven't been able to fully analyse these rare instances of higher skill, but I suspect that he may be on my level. There was something so familiar about the way he fought against Otirik, especially when he countered the Star Burst Stream. There's no denying it. Nebula _is_ Counter Point. No-one else could block that skill, other than Kayaba. Then again, _he_ used a shield to do it, but even then only because he knew the skill's combos off by heart. Nebula countered dual-wielding with dual-wielding, in a skill he'd never faced before. I've been wondering about that actually._ Kirito looks away from Sora, to Yui, who watches Sinon and Sora talking normally again.

“Say Yui? I've been wondering about something. Isn't it unusual that Nebula can dual-wield? I mean, he's not a Two-Sword Ranger. Should he be able to use two swords together like I do?” Yui nods.

“Yes, that's something the system allows for. Anyone can dual-wield as long as they fulfil one basic requirement: the correct choice of weapons. All weapons fall into one of three main classes: Main Hand Weapons, Two-Hand Weapons, and Off Hand Weapons. Dual-wielding with Two-handed weapons is forbidden by the game. No matter your skills, it isn't possible to do it. However, there are many Main Hand Weapons that can also be equipped to your Off Hand slot. All knives, daggers, small-swords, maces, small hammers, small axes and similar weapons can be wielded in either hand. If you want, you can equip two of them at once, and therefore dual-wield. Nebula is abiding by that ruling. His Estoc was a Main Hand only weapon, so he would back it up with a Parrying Dagger, a hatchet, a knife. Anything like that. The Fine Longsword +2 he currently uses is also Main Hand only, but he's still capable of using a second weapon as long as it isn't a Two-Hand or Main Hand weapon. There are key differences between Two-Sword Rangers and all other dual-wielders however: Two-Sword Rangers have specific Sword Skills that cater to the use of dual-wielding. They are also capable of dual-wielding with two Main Hand only weapons, which is why you are capable of equipping both longswords. Nebula wouldn't be able to do that. The system would block him if he tried. The stats of Two-Sword Rangers are also specifically catered for dual-wielding right from creation, and the necessary stats; namely Strength, Agility and Reflex, develop faster with Two-Sword Rangers than any other class. Of course, that means that no matter how skilled Nebula is at dual-wielding, inevitably you're going to overtake him. Your class is tailored for it, his isn't.” Kirito takes all this in with an intrigued expression.

“So that's how it is. This game is far different to SAO and ALO in more ways than I initially realised. Still, I wonder why Nebula chooses to dual-wield?” Asuna answers him.

“He hates shields, and he dislikes two-handed weapons as well.” Kirito raises an eyebrow.

“He does? Who told you that?” Asuna looks at Kirito.

“It was Lady Aphrodite: the Undine Leader. I asked her once why he always parries attacks, rather than using a shield. She told me that he hates using shields. Something about them being too cumbersome, and too difficult to move quickly. It's by that logic he dislikes two-handed swords as well. They slow him down apparently, so he avoids using them as much as possible. My guess is, he chooses to dual-wield because it's the only skill that can keep up with him. You've seen what he's like in combat. He never sits still for long, even when defending. He seems to be incapable of remaining stationary for more than a few seconds at a time. He can't rely on a shield if it's too slow for his style of fighting. So, he dual-wields, and protects himself with an offensive weapon instead. That takes remarkable skill. The only people I know who can pull it off are you, Counter Point, and Virtual Demon.” Kirito returns his attention to Sora.

“I see.” Across the tunnel, Sora lapses into silence, his thoughts racing as his mind starts planning ahead. _I have to protect Sinon from this game, and from Reality Bytes. I know that, but doing so won't be easy. We're going to have to keep on challenging quests, getting into tough battles. They're not going to be as easy as the one we just conquered. No quest will ever be that easy again. We need to get stronger though._ I _need to get stronger. I've come close to death several times now, and it hasn't even been a full day yet. We're never going to make it out of here alive at this rate. I need to become so much stronger, but that means taking on quests. Like this Level 5 one. I know nothing about it, and that makes things difficult on me. If I at least had a clue about the enemies we will be facing, I can make a more informed decision about whether or not to take the quest. As things stand, I'm not going to make a decision for the whole party on my own. Especially if that decision gets us killed. I don't have any doubts that we can complete this one. If the situation becomes dire enough, then I can always blow my cover. I'm against doing it unnecessarily, but if Sinon's life is in danger, then I won't hesitate to reveal that I_ am _in fact Virtual Demon. Well, I suppose all I can do now is explain the situation to the others, and see what the decision is: gamble our lives to level up, or take the safe option and find another way._ Sora stands up, and Sinon does likewise, sensing that he has come to a decision. The pair return to the others, who look expectantly.

“Alright. Well, I wish I had good news for everyone, but truthfully I don't. I brought you all here based upon information provided by Persia. That last quest however was nothing like she said it would be. The rewards were more generous than they should have been, and Sabre Rattler was definitely an anomaly. A Level 6 Boss this early on? It shouldn't have been the case, but it was. I've contacted Persia, and she's recommended that I disregard all information she gave me about the Level 5 quest. Anything she's told me is likely to be inaccurate at best. At worst, completely wrong. All I can say for sure about this quest is what the Quest Log tells me. It's a Level 5 Quest. Listed as a Medium Adventure. I don't like that. Medium adventures typically include large mob swarms or a high-level boss. Usually both. The Quest Log states that the gold earnings are moderate, and that there are Rare Items to be found. That's all. The nature of the quest is effectively unknown in its entirety. It won't take us far away from here, but that doesn't exactly fill me with confidence. Monsters can reach up to Level 18 in the surrounding mountains. I can't kill those in a single hit as I did with Sabre Rattler. I've been weighing up the options, ruminating on the possibilities. The odds are good that we can earn the necessary levels with this quest. I'd like everyone in the guild to be at least Level 5 before we start on the Path of Destiny. Our odds of survival however aren't so great. Since I don't know what we're up against, I can't make an accurate estimation. Based upon the variables I have at hand, I'd say we have an 80% probability of surviving this quest, which given our situation is a full 15% below my comfort threshold. I'll use everything at my disposal to make sure we come out of the quest alive, I just want you to be aware of the risks. That's assuming of course that you decide to undertake the quest. I'm not going to push you into doing it. For something like this, I won't make a decision for the whole group. I have no objections either way. I know of safer alternatives for levelling up if we choose to pass on this one. The rewards won't be as great, and it'll take longer to level up, but our survival odds won't drop below 98%. It's up to you. What do you want to do?” Kirito and the others look troubled, and begin to voice their thoughts and discuss the options.

“It's difficult to say. It's hard to believe that there'd be such a dangerous quest this early on. Then again, that snake was unexpected. A Level 6 Boss in a Level 2 quest? Clearly that was supposed to be taken down by teamwork only. With that being the case, I think it's safe to assume the next quest will have a boss of around Level 8 or 9. Cassiopeia; do you know anything about the quest? You're a QZR employee after all.” Cassiopeia shakes her head.

“I was in charge of Server Maintenance and Streaming. I had nothing to do with the game itself really. It's true I played the Beta test, but the quests were changed since then, when it was revealed that they were too easy. Both of them could have been completed by a single player if they were skilled enough. Don't forget that we were trying to create a game that was impossible for the VR Nightmare to complete alone. While almost every quest is available only to guilds, that doesn't mean that the rest of the team can't then sit back, relax, and watch as a skilled solo player does all the work for them. They can still earn money and items that way. We upped the ante to try and prevent that from happening, and I'm entirely certain we succeeded. I'm sorry. I'm not going to be able to provide any real insight into the game itself.” Suguha seems particularly deep in thought.

“What about a forfeit? Quests in Alfheim Online started coming with a Forfeit option two years ago, allowing players to back out of difficult quests without dying. Usually they'd have to sacrifice something, but they'd keep all their levels and skills, so they could try again once they levelled up some more. Is there anything like that here?” Sora opens up his Quest Log.

“There is. The forfeit is pretty merciful actually. We'd lose half of our gold, and any items we'd collected in the quest. That's all. Considering the intended difficulty of the game, that's probably the best forfeit we can hope for.” Klein looks more positive at this.

“Well that's alright then. We can always take a look at the quest. If it turns out to be too hard or too dangerous, we can always quit and go with the fallback plan instead. It's not like we're planning on buying property in this game. We're just here to get everyone out of the game alive. If we can beat the quest, those Rare Items could help us get out of here that much quicker.” Asuna doesn't share his enthusiasm.

“That may be true, but what if we don't get the chance to quit? By the time we realise we're in over our heads, it could be too late for that. Navigating menus isn't something you can achieve when you're being swarmed. I want to get everyone out of here as soon as possible too, but we have to remember the danger involved. If we die here, we really die. No re-spawn, no starting over, nothing. Just death. We can't save anyone if we're dead.” Sinon speaks up, seeking to allay Asuna's concerns.

“I can understand your concern, but at the same time, you seem to be underestimating your companions. Both Nebula and I levelled up during that last quest. We're higher level than the rest of you, meaning we can protect you better. Then there's the reward Nebula received for beating Sabre Rattler, in one hit at that.” All eyes are on Sora at this point. Klein asks the question on everyone's mind.

“Why? What did he get?” Sora shifts his cloak aside to reveal the sabre at his hip.

“A Super-Rare Item. This is a Lancinating Masterwork Wounding Adamantine Sabre of Speed +5. I named it 'Death Viper'. With a Critical Hit probability of 55%, and a base damage score of 65-105, there's very few monsters below Level 4 that won't die after a single attack. I can take out Monsters as high as Level 12 with a single Sword Skill. Anything below Level 15 I can confidently defeat with this sword. Above that becomes trickier. Because this is a relatively small Sabre, I can equip it to my Off Hand, which allows me to dual-wield if I choose. Unfortunately, I didn't find any other good swords, so if I want to dual-wield, I'll have to use the Fine Longsword +2 as my Main Hand weapon. I'm not particularly happy with that. I might be ambidextrous, but I still fight better with my right hand than my left. Unfortunately, nothing I possess has enough durability to last a full quest. Hell, I doubt even the Fine Longsword will, but it's got the most durability, so I've got no choice but to use it.” While the others stare at Death Viper with awe, Kirito takes the opportunity to confirm something.

“Or you could use a shield.” Sora recoils as if nauseated, and responds bluntly.

“I hate shields. They're too bulky. Even Bucklers are a pain to use. Too slow, and they end up wasting my Dexterity. I'd rather use a single sword than carry a shield around, but not a two-handed sword. Those are a nuisance as well. Sure they're strong, but unless you happen to be Virtual Demon, they're practically useless for defending with. I can wield a single one-hand sword far faster than I can wield a two-hander. I can use two one-hand swords to do the same job as a sword and shield combo with roughly eight times the efficiency.” Suguha brings the conversation back on topic.

“So, do you really think you can protect us during this quest? You've got skills, and a powerful sword, but are you certain that none of us will die if we take on this quest?” Sora nods.

“Unless we have the rotten misfortune of facing a Dragon, a Giant or an Archon, we'll make it out alive.” Suguha frowns.

“What's an Archon?” Sora marshals his thoughts.

“An Archon is a large, elemental being, usually humanoid in appearance. They're pretty powerful, considering they're usually mid-level monsters in RPGs. I could handle a low-level Fire Archon, Wind Archon or Ice Archon, but that's about it. The higher level ones would overpower me, while Earth and Water Archons would thrash me, as I am now. As I said earlier, I can confidently take on anything below Level 15. The probability of us finding anything above Level 10 is around 2.7%, so I can say with certainty that we'll survive the quest. As long as you don't walk into every trap or throw yourself upon your own sword that is. Don't forget that I was able to defeat Elric earlier. He's a Level 30 Divine Champion. Granted, I used my Destiny Die, and sacrificed my Estoc in the process, but even so I survived against an opponent almost four times my level. I'd prefer not to have to use my Destiny Die again, but if the situation calls for it, then I will.” Suguha has no counterargument for this. No-one does. Asuna still looks a little suspicious though.

“You'd really go that far to protect us? You'd really gamble with your life by using the Destiny Die, knowing full well that it could kill you, for people you don't even know?” Sora nods.

“I would. What's important isn't how well I know you, but the simple fact that you're alive. Too many have died in this game as it is. The last thing I want is for more lives to be lost. This guild has the most skill, and the highest chance of saving all those trapped within this game. Losing even a single member would be crippling, and would significantly dent our odds of success. Whether I know you or not, I still need everyone of you to stay alive and help me end this nightmare.” Sinon starts pushing towards a definitive answer.

“So... are we saying that we're all in favour?” Agil scratches his beard.

“There's risks involved, but that didn't stop us when we were trapped inside Sword Art Online. We were prepared to risk our lives in order to defeat the game as quickly as possible. The forfeit only takes away our money and the items we find, it doesn't say anything about our levels. There's a good chance that we can all reach Level 5 before it gets too difficult. I don't have any objections to forfeiting as long as we get the levels we need at the very least. Hell, even if we _don't_ level up enough, we can still get a good head start, and finish levelling up at a safer location. With all that in mind, I'm in.” Kirito, Klein, Suguha and Yui all nod, not seeing the need to say any more. Asuna sighs in resignation.

“Well, it's hard to argue with that logic. I just wanted to make sure everyone thought this through properly. I hope we can find some Mana potions along the way. Healing takes up a lot of my magic I'll have you know. Alright, count me in.” All eyes turn to Cassandra now, who seems reluctant.

“I can't say that the prospect of diving head-first into the unknown thrills me, but I guess I can't back out now, can I? Pretty much all of the game is an unknown to me really. I only completed the two old quests that were here, in between hunting and skill training. Still, if doing this will allow us to clear the game faster, and if you're _sure_ we won't end up dead, then I guess I'll go along with it.” Sora nods.

“We'll be fine. Maybe not fine and _dandy_ , but that's good enough. As long as we remember our past experiences in VRMMOs and combine our resources together, I don't see why we can't overcome any obstacle thrown at us. Well, if you're all sure you want to do this, I recommend readying your equipment. I don't know what'll happen once the quest begins, so be ready for anything. Expect the unexpected.” Kirito and the others stand, equipping items and drawing weapons, taking up defensive stances. Sora switches Death Viper to his Off Hand slot, and re-equips the Fine Longsword +2 as his Main Hand weapon, before drawing it. _Should I even bother naming this thing? I suppose I might as well. I referred to it as 'Sheep-biter' earlier on. That might not be such a bad name. Alright, I name this sword 'Sheep-biter'._ Sora brings up the Quest Log and selects the Level 5 quest. A notification fills up the interior of the cave.

“Level 5 Quest: To Kill a King. Do you accept?” Sora hesitates a moment. _King? I don't like the sound of that. A Lycan King? A Goblin King? The King of the Mountain? I guess there's only one way to find out._ He presses 'Accept'. In an instant, the group is teleported outside the Cave of Origins, not far from the Teleport Ring. Sora looks around, and hears trampling not far off.

“We should arrange ourselves in a combat formation. Kirito, Agil: you're on the frontline with me. Cassiopeia, Klein, Leafa: you three back us up. Sinon, Yui, Asuna: hold the rear and cover our backs. It's not likely that we'll get approached from the rear, but it's a possibility. I can hear footsteps from up ahead. Sounds like a group of twenty. Not Human. Something smaller and lighter, wearing iron-clad boots. I'm hearing vocalisations as well, but not clearly. Maybe Goblins. They'll be coming into view in about thirty seconds.” The group rearranges itself according to Sora's suggestions. He and Kirito flank Agil, the idea being that Agil can cover one or both of them with his shield if necessary. Klein and Suguha flank Cassiopeia since she has a better ranging capability than they do. Sinon and Asuna flank Yui, who hovers somewhat nervously, uncertain of what events will come to pass. A few seconds later, and a group of twenty Goblins emerge from the trees to the east, heading towards the cave entrance. All of the Goblins were leather armour, with occasional plates of iron or chain-mail, and none of them seem to notice that they are being watched. They are too intent on something they are dragging in their midst. Sora peers intently, and realises that it is a boy being dragged around.

“Sinon; let them know we're here.” Sinon draws two arrows at the same time, and fires them both. Two Goblins are struck in the chest, but only one dies. Sinon tuts disappointedly as the Goblins all look at the group in shock, especially when they start to jog towards the Goblins. Crossbow bolts bounce off Agil's shield, while Sora blocks a Throwing Axe. Sinon fires three more arrows in succession, each shot killing a Goblin. Three bolts of magic energy rocket past from the rear of the group, their explosions blasting three Goblins onto their backs, with only one surviving. The Goblins start retreating into the cave, while two of them remain with the boy, raising hammers. A hatchet buries into the heads of each Goblin, and both fall dead. The group runs to the boy's aid, while Sora retrieves his hatchets. Klein unties the boy, freeing him from the ropes.

“Are you okay? Not hurt are you?” The boy shakes his head.

“No, I'm alright. Thank you for saving me. My name is Evan. Evan Wood.” Asuna crouches beside Evan.

“Hello Evan. My name's Asuna. Do you mind if I asked what happened? How did you end up being caught by Goblins?” Evan looks away sadly, drawing his knees up to his chest.

“I live in a small house to the east, not far from the Evergreen Death. It's always been peaceful there, we've never had any trouble. Then, Goblins attacked. The same ones who brought me here. They killed my parents, and they kidnapped my sister. I have to protect her. I'm her older brother. I have to be the man of the house now. So I took the family sword and chased after her, but... it was no good. I couldn't win. They captured me. They said they were going to sacrifice my sister to Mawlocke. He's the king of the Goblins in this area. My sister is going to be sacrificed to him at the full moon tonight, and I was supposed to be the Main Course. Please! You have to help me! Please save my sister!” Asuna and the others turn to Sora, who looks deep in thought.

“I see. So that's the situation is it? I thought that might be the case. Historically, there have been many stories of Goblins kidnapping children, either to eat them or raise them as their own. Goblins live almost exclusively within the mountains, though there are some that live deep in old forests, making homes in caves or ruined forts. I've encountered many monsters in my time, and Goblins are among the worst. Not the strongest or the smartest, but they're cunning, tenacious, and vicious little blighters. They have a nasty habit of leaving traps behind. Their homes are also heavily guarded with defences. They excel in close range combat despite their lack of strength. They tend to be pretty quick, attacking with knives, sickles, small axes, clubs, small hammers, and crossbows. They rarely use swords, but some Goblins use Pikes, giving them good range abilities. They never fight one-on-one. Ever. They always attack in groups, usually under the leadership of larger Goblins known as Bugbears. Those are much more capable fighters. Heavily armoured, intellectual, and wielding heavy one-hand weapons or else two-handed weapons. Goblins are also known to use animals and beasts to attack people as well. Dogs, Wolves, Worgs, Panthers, Pumas, and even large bugs such as Stag or Fire Beetles, or Giant Spiders. That's just another trick up their sleeve, one of many. Then there's-” Asuna cuts him off sharply.

“Now hold on a minute! Don't tell me you're backing out _now_? I thought you said you can protect us? I thought you said you could handle this confidently? Was that a lie? Are you quitting already?” Sora ignores his urge to respond with an abusive remark, and instead speaks as flatly as he can.

“Not at all. I've already decided to accept this request. I was actually just buying time to plan strategies for killing Mawlocke. At the same time I was reciting my knowledge of Goblins for _your_ benefit. Since you're so keen to fight these Goblins, I thought you might appreciate the information. Know your enemy. That's the first rule of combat. I wanted to make sure you _did_ know your enemy.” Asuna hesitates, looking faintly embarrassed.

“Oh.” Sinon smiles mischievously.

“Did you really need to doubt him? You yourself commented on Nebula's tendency to plan ahead back at Marion's shop. Hasn't he proven that enough already? I've come to realize that it's only to be expected that he's thinking several steps ahead of us. He does all of his thinking in between battles, leaving him free to act on instinct when in combat.” Sora nods happily.

“Good to see that there are _some_ people at least who are paying attention. I foresee no problems with this quest. Alright Evan, we'll help you rescue your sister. My name's Nebula by the way, and I'll be the one taking off Mawlocke's head.” Evan looks up at Sora, somewhat sceptical.

“You will? But Mawlocke's supposed to be unbeatable, and they say he killed a Dragon.” Sora puts his hands on his hips.

“Don't listen to them, whoever _they_ are. Rumours are usually based on lies. Chances are Mawlocke's only killed a baby Dragon, and even then probably only an injured one. Besides, _I_ defeated Elric Titanslayer; the Divine Champion of Kraler. He's killed dozens of Dragons, but he couldn't beat little old me. Mawlocke will be a piece of cake in comparison.” Evan looks awestruck.

“Wow!” Asuna helps the boy stand. 

“He's also got a big ego though, and a reckless attitude. Still, we won't fail to save your sister, so try not to worry about her.” Sora takes two steps towards the cave and then stops, turning around with a distant, concerned expression. He faces Kirito.

“Like I said, I've been planning strategies. I've got most of it figured out, but there is one variable that remains, and that is trust. I need to know that I can trust you, and I need to know that you in turn trust me. For the best possible result, I have to find this out now. Since you and I are going to be on the frontlines, I need to determine _your_ trustworthiness and reliability most of all. With that in mind, I need to ask you some questions, hypothetical of course, in order to verify that information and finalise the plan. Is that ok?” Kirito shrugs.

“If you think it's necessary, go right ahead.” Sora inclines his head slightly.

“Say we're in a battle. Just you and me taking on six Drow Elites. They're pretty high level, strong, fast, and they wield poisoned weapons. I ask you to take three hits before disengaging, even though we both know that you'll be poisoned and severely injured. How do you respond to that request?” Kirito frowns.

“Based on that information, I can't see any reason to comply. Those hits could very well kill me, and you haven't explained what you would be doing in that time. If I had more to work with, a better understanding of what was going to happen, then maybe. Even then, it's only a maybe.” Sora shows no signs of explaining further. He maintains a poker face.

“Alright. It's night time. You and I are on patrol while the others sleep. A band of Lizardmen attack us. They're mid-level, fairly strong, and of the thirteen that attack, four carry poisoned weapons. I'm injured, but still capable of fighting. Two Lizardmen break away and head towards our camp. I tell you to intercept them, even though doing so leaves me fighting against eleven enemies on my own, while injured but not poisoned. If you disobey me, Asuna dies. If you obey, she lives. You know that as fact. The fate of everyone else is a complete unknown. Do you comply?” Kirito looks somewhat shocked, and seems uncertain how best to answer.

“You're asking me something like that? A choice between definitely saving Asuna at the possible cost of everyone, or definitely losing Asuna and possibly everyone else as well? That's a cruel question. These are my friends after all. Even so, if I know I can save Asuna, even if that means abandoning you, I'll do it.” Sora still shows no reaction to the answers.

“I see. While in town, we fight against a group of Red Players. They're highly skilled, VRMMO veterans. In the course of the battle I execute a series of Sword Skills in a manner which many witnesses attest can only be pulled off by Virtual Demon. Through questioning and trickery, I'm revealed to actually _be_ Virtual Demon. With my cover blown I have no choice but to explain myself. I tell you that I kept my identity secret for the sake of everyone here, not just in this guild but in the game as a whole. Knowing who I am would have ramifications. Players would try to compete with me, and would die. Fans of mine would try to follow me, and would die. Enemies would try to challenge me, and would die. At this point, only a handful of players know my true identity. They will keep my secret, but what about you? Furthermore, how would it affect your behaviour in the group, and your opinion of me as a person?” Sinon does well to hide her shock at the question. _What the Hell? Is he trying to reveal himself? He just told a hypothetical that's actually true, at least in terms of his identity. What is he thinking?_ Kirito seems to be thinking hard as well.

“That came out of left field a bit. An interesting question. The reasoning makes perfect sense really. I'm aware that Virtual Demon has a lot of fans, and a lot of enemies. You would never find peace again if your secret got out, and that would only hamper our performance. So to that end I'd keep quiet. The follow up question is strange as well. I don't see that my behaviour would change. Who you are seems irrelevant. It's what you're doing that's important. I have to admit I'd be somewhat suspicious of you though. If you kept your identity secret, then it's probable you have other secrets as well. Keeping secrets unnecessarily will only end up hurting the group. I'd rather we laid everything out in the open, to avoid that.” Once again, Sora is emotionless.

“Interesting. Along our travels, we have an unfortunate encounter. A member of Reality Bytes who has managed to escape the Tower of the Gods. While I'm ordering them to surrender, they recognise my voice and reveal that I too am a member of Reality Bytes, albeit a traitor to them. Naturally, I kill them without hesitation or mercy. It's the only way, but the damage is done. Obviously, you'll all turn on me, interrogate me, and force me to explain the truth. I tell you that I was a member of Reality Bytes, but one who came to disagree with their ideals. Spend enough time in VR and it becomes a home to you, superior to the real world. As such I decided to abandon them, but not before finding out their plot to target DCO. I decide to stop them however I can. So when Reality Bytes came here, I did too, and trapped them here. My goal is to eliminate them so that they never threaten the Virtual World again, and to punish them for the lives lost because of their selfish and misguided desires. I explain all of this to you, and ask you to continue supporting me. The question is: can you? Can you in fact work with someone from Reality Bytes, to stop that faction?” Sinon frowns at this. _That's... such a weird hypothetical. There's something off about it, and about Sora. I'm not sure what it is, but it looks like he's fishing for something in particular_. Kirito also looks confused, and a little irritated.

“To trust one of the people responsible for this nightmare? How can I? How could I be sure that what you were saying was the truth? There is no assurance of that. For all I know, your explanations could be lies, designed to get us to blindly follow you into a trap. The only thing I would know for certain is that you were a member of Reality Bytes. In that case I would have to restrain you by force, and have you locked inside the prison. The only other alternative would be your termination.” Sora stares blankly.

“Last scenario. This whole guild is in battle. The enemies we're facing is irrelevant. We're winning the battle. Until reinforcements arrive that is. The battle turns bad. We're all injured, some pretty badly, but we still win out. Half of us have dropped into the red though. Upon investigation, we find trace evidence of messages left behind. They are not written in any Human language, nor in Elven, Draconic, Demonic, Fae, Beast Script, Bloodwords, or Lycan. Going by the style of writing discernible, it can only have been written by a person, not a monster. In other words, someone in our group lead the reinforcements to us, where we were supposed to be killed were it not for the traitor underestimating us. How do you proceed?” Sinon looks intrigued by the question. _That's a clever question. He's listed off several key languages here, including the ones he knows. He's ruling himself out as the traitor without saying as much. So I wonder who it is then? It won't be me or Suguha since he ruled out Elven. The only one who hasn't been excluded seems to be Cassandra_. As she studies Sora, she sees him glance ever so briefly at Evan. Kirito thinks the problem through as well.

“Interesting. So it's not a language we recognise. In theory though, I could use my Analysis Skill to determine what language is being used, assuming there's enough of it left to work with. By cross referencing the results of the analysis with the languages our group can speak, it shouldn't be too hard to determine the traitor. Of course, the method of writing is also important. I doubt it's going to be as simple as chalk. More likely it'll be something that only the writer and the reinforcements can see. I don't think there's many amongst us who can pull off something that subtle. Once their identity has been determined, the natural course of action is to apprehend and imprison the traitor, by force if necessary, though I'd prefer to capture them alive.” Sinon smiles very faintly at this. _I see. So Kirito is suspecting Cassandra in this situation as well. I don't blame him. Sora's set up the scenario specifically for that outcome it seems_. Sora is silent for a moment, then shrugs and starts walking to the cave. Asuna looks incredulous.

“Wait just a minute! What the Hell was all that about? What about the results? Did you just ask a bunch of dumb questions for nothing?” Sora turns back with a sigh.

“Of course not. I'm not a moron. I'm just disappointed with the results. To put it simply, there's no trust, going either way. Kirito doesn't trust me, and I don't trust him. That's going to cause problems later on. I think I can rely on him in battle, though I'm not so clear on the extent of that reliability. We should be fine for this quest, but we're going to need to work hard on building trust as soon as possible. We'll all die otherwise. A group without trust is a disaster waiting to happen. That can wait for now though. We're wasting time. We have to find Evan's sister before sunset, or she'll be sacrificed to Mawlocke, with or without the Main Course.” Sora enters the cave, and the others follow in confusion. Sinon moves up to speak with Sora privately.

“Are you ok?” Sora nods.

“Peachy, but this trust issue's going to be a problem sooner or later. It's not just Kirito either, it's all of them. I just don't know what to do about it though. I'm not used to being in a guild, not used to being open and exposed. But, we can work on that later. Listen Sinon, you're the only one here I trust. Not quite implicitly, but you're not far off from that. There's nothing more you can do to reach that level, it's just a matter of enough time passing. I want you to do something for me. Can I ask you to keep a close eye on Evan? Something about the boy doesn't... feel right. I'm not sure what it is, but my instincts have been warning me not to lower my guard around him.” Sinon hesitates a moment. _Evan? He's suspicious of the NPC child? I wonder why that is? I can't see any reason to suspect him at the moment, but I know Sora better than that. There's a reason he wants me to keep an eye on the boy. Sora's instincts have never yet been wrong though. He's already demonstrated that time and again, and not just here. It's his instincts as much as his skill that have made him the world's best VRMMO gamer. If he says that there's something wrong with the boy, it means that there definitely_ is _something wrong with the boy. It would be dangerous for me to doubt Sora's instincts, possibly even fatal. I won't make that mistake_. Sinon nods.

“Alright, I'll keep watch. I trust you too, and I know not to ignore your instincts. I just hope they're wrong for once.” Sora nods solemnly.

“As do I. Well, we'll see. Time will tell whether I'm right or wrong. Whatever happens, stay frosty. Don't let your emotions get the best of you. I'm depending on you to watch my back, thereby setting me free on what lies ahead.” Before Sinon can say anything, Sora suddenly signals for everyone to stop and crouch behind cover. He turns to Sinon and communicates through sign language. Sinon recognises the signals from her time in GGO, and quietly relays the information to the others in a whisper.

“There are eight Goblins around the corner. Three on the left, five on the right. Lightly armoured, moderately armed. They're standing fourteen metres away, keeping watch. They don't know we're here.” The others nod, tightening their grips on their weapons. Sinon turns to Sora, who signals more instructions, which Sinon relays.

“Kirito, Agil, Klein: You three are going to help Nebula take the Goblins on the right. Suguha: you're going to help me, Yui and Cassandra take the Goblins on the left. Asuna: be ready to heal. Nebula can see crossbow turrets in the cave walls, but no trigger mechanism. There may be other traps as well. We're going to strike while we have the element of surprise. Three of the Goblins have Signal Horns. We can't let them alert the other Goblins lurking in these caves. Get ready. On Nebula's signal, we'll move, quickly and quietly. Get as close as you can before attacking.” They nod again, ready to move in as soon as Sora gives the signal. Sora raises his left hand, three fingers in the air, then counts down. The moment he clenches his fist, everyone starts running while crouched, weaving amongst stalagmites to avoid being seen. As the group closes to within three metres of the Goblins, one turns around to see Sora bearing down on him, a sword in each hand. He can only stare in shock as Sora slashes with both swords, quartering the Goblin's head. Kirito, Klein and Agil take a Goblin each, while one of the Goblins on the left is pierced by two arrows. Another is hit with a blue bolt that freezes the Goblin solid. As Sora hacks apart the fifth Goblin on the right side, he hears a bellowing trumpet, as the surviving Goblin on the left blows his horn. Suguha cuts him, and the horn, in half with a vicious slash. The other Goblins all fall dead as well, while the frozen Goblin shatters. Sora looks around, checking out the surrounding area, and sees Asuna healing Cassandra.

“What happened?” Asuna glances at him.

“She snagged a tripwire and got shot by four bolts. The wounds are pretty serious, but not poisoned. That's something I guess.” Cassandra seems angry with herself.

“I wasn't paying enough attention to where I was going, and I forgot to set up a Curving Field. I could have prevented this from happening if I hadn't slipped up. The bolts threw off my incantation and I couldn't kill that Goblin. I'm the reason we lost the element of surprise.” Sora shakes his head.

“It's not your fault. I gave bad intel. I should have carried out more reconnaissance on the tunnel. There's any number of things that could've been done differently, but this isn't the time for reflecting on what might have been. Focus on the job at hand. Sure, losing the element of surprise might make things a little more tricky, but at the same time we don't have to sneak around so much. The Goblins know we're here, so they'll be coming to drive us out. Make sure they run into our swords and die. Not just yet though. First I need to take care of the remaining traps. Take a moment to heal up and put your game face on. I need you at your best, not beating yourself up. We've still got a ways to go yet, so don't give up.” Cassandra nods, and watches as Sora darts off, sweeping the area for tripwires and other trap mechanisms. _Easy for you to say. We can't all be like you. Despite everything that's happened, you still march on. Despite the deaths, despite the horrors, despite the people that you killed, you still march on, over their dead bodies. What is it that drives you? What is it you're leading us to? There has always been something about you that just doesn't add up, and it's not just the suspicious username that never existed until the Rescue Team dived. There's something about your behaviour, your way of thinking, and your combat skills. You are not who you claim to be. You are hiding that truth. So I wonder, Nebula: Who are you_ really _? Who is the_ real _you? I'd like to meet that person._ Sora returns to the group, looking pensive.

“That's all the traps in this area taking care of, but there's going to be more further in. Keep your eyes peeled for that. As we get closer to Mawlocke, there will be more and more traps to contend with. I'll do what I can, but I'm just one guy. Keep an eye out for tripwires, and don't touch anything that seems unusual or out of place. Those are most likely disguised traps. As for combat, I think we need to shuffle the arrangement a little. It's not as efficient as I thought it would be. Alright, Leafa and Yui: I want you two up front with me. Having a Scout on the frontline might not be such a bad idea since we're fighting Goblins, and Yui's spells will be better utilised up front as well. Then it should be Cassiopeia, Klein, Evan and Asuna in the middle. Cassiopeia, Klein: you two flank Asuna and the kid. Protect them from harm, and only fight if you have to. That leaves Agil, Kirito and Sinon at the rear. You three are on point, so make sure nothing takes us from behind. Goblins are quite well known for stabbing people in the back, so make sure they don't do it to us. We'll move as a single unit, preventing them from using Divide and Conquer tactics. That's a Goblin favourite. Stick together unless I say otherwise. They'll be attacking us from all directions. Any small cave you see probably has at least one Goblin in it, so Yui, Cassiopeia: if you see such a hole, torch it. Flush them out so we can finish them off. Is everyone clear on that?” As the group starts rearranging itself, Klein seems to have a question on his mind.

“Is clumping us all together like this really a good idea? All the Goblins would have to do is roll a boulder over us and we're screwed.” Sora shakes his head.

“I doubt that'll happen. That's not a typical Goblin trap. Even if they _did_ use it, we'd still survive no problem. I've got about a dozen tricks up my sleeve to counter that situation. Yui's spells would be able to help us as well if need be. Grouping together _does_ make us an easier target, but think about where we are. These caves aren't all going to be wide enough to spread out in. We don't want that anyway. Spreading out allows Goblins to isolate us and pick us off one by one. Let's not forget that fighting as a single unit is a tried and tested method that has worked countless times over the centuries. The Phalanx Arrangement allowed a massively outnumbered Greek army to deal devastating losses to King Xerxes and the Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae. This _will_ work, I assure you.” Sinon finds herself smiling as Klein backs down from Sora's logic. _It figures that Sora would be a history buff. I'm sure he knows a lot about ancient battles and the tactics employed within. I'm sure many have been used against him as well, to no effect. The longer I spend around Sora, the better I feel about our situation here. We're going to make it out alive. All of us. It's a certainty_. Sora sheaths his Longsword, switching to Death Viper exclusively. He takes a moment to quickly navigate his inventory, moving items around. Once satisfied with everything, he starts marching, leading everyone through the tunnels. Footsteps echo all around, but no Goblins emerge just yet. When they come to a three-way fork, Sora stops for a moment, analysing the three tunnels ahead of him. _Hmm. The left hand tunnel seems to head south, back towards the entrance. Then again, it could curve away again. The central tunnel seems to head north, but there's something about it I don't like. The right hand tunnel angles east, but there's a fresher breeze coming from that way. I may need to cast a spell for more information_. Suguha tenses suddenly.

“Heads up. We've got Goblins coming in. Left and right tunnels. If I account for reverberations, there's a group of eighteen coming from the left, and a group of fifteen coming from the right. We should take the central tunnel before they pincer us.” Sora shakes his head.

“No, that's what they want us to do. The central tunnel will lead us into a Goblin ambush. The two groups from the left and right tunnels will cut off our retreat. There'll be around thirty Goblins waiting in the central tunnel, with at least one Bugbear. We're not fit to take on so many enemies at once. Leafa; can you smell fresh water?” Suguha hesitates a moment, looking confused.

“Huh? Y-yeah, there's fresh water somewhere along the right tunnel, why?” Sora nods.

“That's where we want to go. Yui, Cassiopeia: you can cast spells with delayed effects right? I want you both to cast a spell like that in the left hand tunnel, with a sixty second delay. We'll take the right hand tunnel. The spells will buy us enough time to take care of the Goblins to the right, before ambushing the ones coming from the left. We'll ignore the central group for the time being.” Yui and Cassandra nod, and begin casting spells with very different incantations simultaneously.

“Kez'l Ubrit Sordan Fiora, Jegret Saxys Uvilum.” Yui loops and bobs her wand in a complex pattern as she incants.

“Feysa Myga Elibria, Tansun Ōlōt Sanikarius.” Two sigils appear within the tunnel on the left, about a metre from the entrance. One sigil is deep purple in colour, the other is scarlet. The sigils both rotate counter-clockwise until they face the opposite direction, then gradually begin to rotate clockwise in a ticking motion before fading from view. Sora looks satisfied with the spells.

“Alright, let's go then. We'll take the right hand tunnel by force, then defend our rear.” The group sets off at a jog, taking the right hand tunnel. As they start up an incline, they hear a deep explosion and the roar of flames behind them, contrasted by startled yelps and cries of pain. Towards the crest of the incline, Sora sees a small flash of light. Without slowing his pace, he spits a fireball at a shallow recess in the left hand wall, roughly half a metre from the floor. A phenomenal explosion blasts a five metre hole, exposing a chamber behind it. The chamber becomes engulfed in fire, and two Goblins stumble out in flames, before collapsing onto the ground and disappearing. The group jogs past the exposed chamber, which is completely lost to the inferno, and they approach a bend in the tunnel. From the other direction, a group of Goblins come rushing out, snarling viciously, waving hatchets, knives and sickles. An arrow races past Sora's left ear to pierce the lead Goblin between the eyes, dropping him dead. Sora and Suguha pick up the pace a little, putting some distance between them and the main group, while Yui fires a bolt of white light. The bolt hits a Goblin in the centre of the group, vaporising it and sending two more flying forwards, straight into Death Viper as Sora slashes horizontally. He and Suguha lay waste to the majority of the Goblins while Sinon picks off two more. A single Goblin manages to slip past the frontline, only to be skewered by Asuna's Rapier. The group immediately turns around and faces the way they came, waiting with swords raised as the pounding of boots grows louder. Fifteen Goblins crest the incline, several of them sporting lacerations or burns. Sinon picks off three of the weakest Goblins before they can even realise that they've been outmanoeuvred. Yui, Cassandra and Sora rain spells upon the Goblins, the air becoming filled with the chaotic mixture of overlapping incantations, explosions, thunderous rumbles, roaring flames and agonised howls. A pair of Goblins leap at Agil, only to be slammed aside by his shield. One is killed by the impact, the other is slain by Kirito. A deep roaring bark draws everyone's attention as a monstrous black Rottweiler pounces Sora, slamming him into the ground and biting into his left shoulder. Sora punches the dog twice, knocking it off of him, before kicking it in the snout. As the Rottweiler tries to pounce again, a single arrow flies into its open jaws, and the dog falls dead. Sinon stands over Sora and grabs his right arm, hauling him to his feet.

“Are you good?” Sora brushes the dust off himself.

“Perhaps a bombardment of spells isn't such a smart thing to use inside a cave system like this one. I didn't hear that furry prick coming. My auto-regeneration is already restoring the health I lost, so I'll be fine. I wasn't hurt all that badly in the first place, just a little dazed. We'd best not linger. Once the Goblins in the central tunnel realise what's going on, they'll move out. I don't know what's along that central tunnel. They could approach from behind, or they could cut us off somewhere further along the way. These are Goblins we're dealing with after all, these caves are their home. They know the terrain better than we do. I'll do my best to navigate us safely through to our destination, but there's a limit to what I can do. I'm not good with caves if I'm honest, they're a naturally occurring labyrinth. The directions I'm leading us on are based on instinct as much as on Speleology. We need to head towards fresher air, cleaner water, and echoes of a particular resonance that I can't properly describe. I'll know it when I hear it though. Running water is not what we're after either. We need static water. Running water will only take us to a Goblin Forge. We want to avoid that. It's a death trap, to put it bluntly. They'll self-destruct a furnace and wipe us all out in an apocalyptic inferno. They can afford to do that. Streams and underground rivers tend to attract monsters as well. We should avoid unnecessary battles, or we'll just end up weakening ourselves.” Sinon nods confidently.

“Lead the way. We'll follow your guidance.” Sora nods, and starts jogging again, leading the others around the bend, where the tunnel becomes narrower. As Suguha jogs beside Sora, she has a question for him.

“What's Speleology?” Sora only focuses straight ahead.

“It's the study of caves, their structure, composition, layout and so on. I got roped into playing a game about a year ago set exclusively in caves. I hated every second of the game, but studying Speleology was pretty interesting. I've managed to retain the knowledge, and now I'm employing it here, as best I can. We'll want to avoid going upwards too often. We're pretty high up to begin with, so there's not going to be many tunnels above us. The exit we're looking for will be somewhere around ground level, and there's likely to be standing water nearby as well.” Asuna joins the conversation, while Yui obliterates a few hidden traps.

“Why's that?” Sora doesn't answer right away as he spits fire into a shallow recess on the right.

“Because of the sacrifice. Goblins don't hold ritual sacrifices inside caves. They hold them outdoors, where they can observe the stars and the moon. As Evan said, the girl is to be sacrificed at the Full Moon. Goblins need to see the moon in order to know when to perform the sacrifice. The standing water is likely to be a Ritual Bath. Goblins don't practice basic hygiene except for during ritual ceremonies. Since this is the Goblin King we're talking about, the Ritual Bath is probably going to be on the scale of a small lake, maybe fifty metres in diameter and ten metres deep. The water will be pure, untainted, at least until the Goblin King washes himself in it. So if you see a lake, let me know. The ritual site is likely to be very close to the lake.” The group jogs around an S-bend, towards a fork up ahead. As Sora approaches, he gets a sudden chill running down his spine. He reaches out with his left hand and grabs Suguha by the collar, pulling her back just as a half dozen iron lances spear out from the walls. Had it not been for Sora, the lances would have pierced Suguha's heart, lungs, throat and stomach. Sora slashes the lances, severing them. Only then does he see two more tunnels converging with theirs, and the Goblins rushing towards him.

“Back up!” Suguha and the others jump back out of reflex, avoiding being swept up in the twin streams of Goblins who separate Sora from the rest. Six Goblins rush Sora, who lunges at them with Death Viper, slashing with ferocious speed. Suguha, Klein and Cassandra lead the charge to regroup with Sora, while Yui and Sinon launch ranged attacks. As Sora beheads two Goblins and kills a third with a kick to the face, he hears paws padding on the rocks, the sound coming from the tunnel they just left.

“Behind you!” Sinon spins around, firing two arrows at a pair of fur-less Greyhounds, killing them both. Two more dogs, their size on par with Irish Wolfhounds, lunge at Sinon, but bite on nothingness as she runs up the wall of the tunnel, launching herself through the air upside-down. She puts an arrow through the back of one dog's neck, before landing and spinning around, firing another arrow into the open jaws of the other dog. She rises into a crouch and faces behind herself again as three more, larger dogs charge her. She looses two arrows, but the third gets too close. As it lunges for her throat, she kicks it in the side of the head, slamming the dog into the tunnel wall. She pins the hound to the ground and stabs it twice with an arrow, which she then fires at a Goblin. The arrow passes through its skull and into that of another Goblin, earning a surprised look from Sora. _Hot damn! She's a better archer than_ I _am, and I'm the freaking VR Nightmare!_ He sidesteps as a Goblin thrusts for his stomach, and feels his leg snag on something. As Sora removes the Goblin's head, he hears a cry.

“Kierla!” A blue bolt flashes past Sora's head, freezing a spear in mid-air just centimetres from Sora, who spits a fireball at a discoloured rock five metres away.

“Thanks for the save, Yui!” With a high-pitched shriek, the last Goblin is slain, Suguha pulling her sword from his heart. Asuna steps forwards to start healing, while the group has a moment of peace. Sora looks at the two tunnels he'd failed to spot, and shakes his head.

“I should have seen that coming. It's such an obvious trick, it's cliché. I let myself get distracted by the lance trap. I've never seen Goblins employ _that_ trap before, so I wasn't prepared for it. If I wasn't bordering on paranoia, I wouldn't have sensed the trap. Leafa would have been killed, and then the Goblin ambush would've taken me out as well. This is my fault. I didn't want to get caught by the Goblins from the central passageway earlier, so I made us rush unnecessarily. I almost ran us straight into our deaths. We'll slow the pace from now on. No more rushing around recklessly. I'd rather we have to deal with an extra group of Goblins than get any one of us killed.” Sinon stands by Sora's side and pats him on the back.

“You're being too hard on yourself. You had no reason to expect the lance trap, but you still managed to avoid the worst case scenario in spite of that. Not only that, but you warned us about the Goblins in time for us to pull back and brace for a fight, and you then warned _me_ about those dogs. I was too focused on the battle before me to even think about what might be coming from behind. I would have noticed too late, and those dogs would have killed me. Not only did you save Suguha's life, but mine as well. Focus on the positives every once in a while. It'll be good for your morale.” Sora smiles faintly as he resigns himself to Sinon's logic.

“You're probably right about that, but I can't help thinking about how badly things could have gone, even if I'd hesitated for only a fraction of a second. Still, I should try looking on the bright side for once. We made it through a tough situation intact, if a little shaken up by it all. That was some masterful archery by the way. I think it's entirely probable that your skills with a bow exceed Virtual Demon's. He's a good archer, but I doubt he would have killed those dogs so easily, certainly not with ordinary arrows as you did. He would have used Magic Arrows of some description instead. Keep it up, and pretty soon your skills will unquestionably surpass his. You have a natural talent for archery, as well as the same badass side that Virtual Demon has. That's the perfect combination of traits for an archer of legendary proportions.” Sinon smiles, blushing as well.

“I don't know about _that_. Virtual Demon's the best gamer in the world after all.” Sora shrugs.

“That doesn't mean he's the best _archer_ in the world though. Virtual Demon doesn't specialise in anything, that I know of. Nothing specific at least. He takes on everything with a wide range of skills. He's a jack-of-all-trades, so being better than him at something isn't impossible. I'll admit it's rare though. Old Sora's had experience with archery, but he's not especially fond of it. Like me, he prefers fighting on the frontlines, where his speed and strength are almost unmatched, and where his skills are put to the best use. At the end of the day, that's just what he's like. I heard that he only uses pistols in GGO because of their versatility. That's Sora in a nutshell. He values versatility other anything else. If he can get a hundred different uses out of it, he has to have it.” Kirito looks over at Sora.

“That's three times now you've used that name when talking about Virtual Demon. Why is that? Why do you call him 'Sora'?” Sora seems a little confused by the question.

“Because that's his name? His real name I mean. Sora Saki. I know what you're going to ask, yes; he did tell me his real name. Don't forget, we were both trapped inside Dragon's Reign Online for more than two weeks. What did you think we did in that time? Sit on our collective arses, scratching our balls? Small talk was the only thing we had keeping our morale from flat-lining. I learned a fair bit about Sora in that time, and he learned about me in exchange. Not that I'm particularly fascinating, but it seemed to help put him at ease about his decision to dump ambassadorial duties on me. I usually refer to him by his game name when talking to other players, but after a while I have a habit of reverting to his real name. It might be a bad habit, but there's no harm in it that I can see so... oh well.” Kirito nods uncertainly.

“I see. I guess that makes sense then.” Cassandra looks at Sora very suspiciously. _Do you seriously expect us to believe that, Nebula? I've seen the player list of everyone caught up in the DRO incident. I've met them personally, so I know you're lying. You didn't learn about Sora Seiun from DRO, you learned about him elsewhere. Wait a minute... Seiun... that's Japanese isn't it? Written with the Kanji for star and cloud... No way. It can't be! That's not possible. Why would he... but if not, then where is he? This situation is all wrong. There must be an explanation. If the two are one and the same, what would that do to our operation? I want to believe it's not true, but now that I think about it, it makes sense. His skill, the fact that he was already Level 8 when we arrived, his ability to bring us in to begin with, his extensive knowledge of the game and everything in it. All of that would add up. Then there's those hypothetical questions. Were they really hypothetical? That sounds like something Sora would do. By posing it as a hypothetical question, he could reveal his identity without actually revealing it. People would assume that no-one would be stupid enough to do that, but it isn't stupid in actuality. It's a calculated manoeuvre. If I apply that logic to his other questions, then it means he's a member of Reality Bytes. So then, the traitor in our midst is also him? Shiraishi was right to be cautious of him after all. I'll have to keep a closer eye on him, while pretending to suspect him less and less. If you really _are_ Sora Seiun, I'll kill you myself._ Suguha sidles up to Sora.

“Thank you, for saving me I mean. I never even saw it coming. Despite my heightened senses, I can't detect traps. My Perception skill needs improvement. I should have been focusing on that right from the start.” Sora pats her on the back.

“Don't beat yourself up. This game was designed to be hard. We only get four Attribute points, to use on eight attributes. If you shift focus from say Diplomacy to Perception, you can guarantee we'll need to negotiate sooner or later. That's why this is supposed to be a team game. Players can cover each others short falls. Correct me if I'm mistaken, but you've chosen to focus on Deception, Fortitude, Analysis and Intelligence, right?” Suguha nods with a surprised look.

“That's right, how did you know?” Sora smiles.

“My Analysis skill is high enough that I can see the stats of other players, given that their Deception skill is low. I can't see your stats, meaning you have a high Deception skill. The others were an educated guess. You and I both have Fortitude and Analysis skills developed, but you went with Intelligence and Deception, whereas I went for Perception and Wisdom. So why don't we cover each other's weaknesses. I'll sniff out the traps, you deceive the enemy. I'll provide generic knowledge, you back it up with intellectual focus. Deal?” Suguha nods.

“Sounds like a plan. I'm surprised you didn't choose Diplomacy though, given that you're an ambassador.” Sora folds his arms.

“That's exactly _why_ I didn't choose it. I already have ambassadorial experience, so a Diplomacy skill would be wasted on me. Besides, I don't want to be a diplomat in too many games if I can help it. I'm better with fighting than negotiating anyhow, so it wouldn't suit me to play the ambassador here. If we ever need to negotiate, I'll have to rely on Kirito and Agil, since they both chose Diplomacy. If I need Religion, God help me, I'll have to speak to Klein since he's the only one training that skill. Then again, he's the only player of the Paladin class, so that's to be expected. You and Cassiopeia are the only ones here trained in Deception, which again makes sense based on your classes. If a Scout gets captured by enemy forces, they'll need to be able to lie convincingly. As for Rogues well, they're not _supposed_ to be honest. Interestingly enough, Fortitude is the one skill that all of us has chosen to develop. That's good. It means we won't get exhausted so easily on our quest, and that means we can fight harder for longer, and stave off thirst, hunger and poison for longer as well.” Asuna finishes healing the group and drinks a Mana potion to refill her magic bar.

“Alright, we're all set to go. I don't suppose you have any idea how many Goblins remain around here, or how many traps we're likely to encounter by any chance?” Sora scratches his chin.

“It's difficult to say. I don't know how far these caves extend exactly. There's also the possibility that there's several cave networks all under Mawlocke's rule. I'd estimate that at the most, there's six hundred Goblins around these parts, however, we won't be fighting that many. At the most, we'll be fighting around one hundred and fifty. As for the traps, that all depends on what treasure they have around here. The bigger the treasure, the greater the number of traps. Again, at an estimate, I'd say there's going to be seven more trapped areas, containing as many as six traps each, so a total of forty-two traps. Oh, I need to factor in Bugbears as well. There's typically one Bugbear for every twenty-five Goblins, so we're looking at six Bugbears in here. And Mawlocke. I almost forgot about Mawlocke.” Asuna seems concerned by this.

“That's quite a lot. Are you sure we can take on that much? I don't want to back out now, but I'm thinking of the group's safety here.” Sora nods.

“As am I. The number is high, but there's no guarantee we'll fight all of those Goblins, or encounter all of those traps. The sooner we find standing water, the better. Once we leave the tunnels we won't have to worry about traps. Goblins never set up traps outside. Ever. Then again they've never used an iron lance trap before, but that's less surprising than an outdoor trap. The largest concentration of Goblins is likely to be around the ritual site, guarding it from outsiders. In the tunnels, they'll be in smaller groups. They have to be really. Large groups can't fit in tight spaces. Something the Persians learned at Thermopylae.” Asuna nods.

“Alright. So, which way to the ritual grounds?” Sora turns to Suguha.

“You're the one who can smell fresh water. Which way is that smell coming from?” Suguha sniffs around, before pointing to a narrow tunnel on the left.

“That way. It's a way off yet, maybe three hundred meters, but we're getting closer.” Sora observes the tunnel.

“I see. That's a pretty narrow tunnel mind. We'll have trouble walking side by side. I'd recommend going single file so that we can still fight and defend effectively. Yui; I'd like you to stick close to me. Since you're a Pixie, you've got plenty of room to manoeuvre, but I'll need you to help me spot and destroy any traps up ahead. Agil; I'd like you at the very back. If we get attacked from behind, you can block them with your shield, while Sinon can pick them off with her arrows.” Agil and Yui both seem fine with this, but Sinon seems anxious.

“I hope we don't get attacked from behind. I don't exactly have infinite arrows you know.” Sora opens up his inventory and starts flicking through.

“Then it's a good thing I never got around to selling _these_ then. I picked them in a dilapidated manor east of Kraler, right on the edge of this world. I had to fight off carnivorous vines, swarms of spiders, and a family of Vampires to complete _that_ quest, and found these in a chest in the master bedroom.” A notification appears before Sinon, and its contents surprise her.

“Five thousand Harpy-feather arrows?! You found these in a chest? I figured you'd send me a couple dozen, not this much. They're ten times better than the dovetail arrows I've been using so far. If that was what you got from a _chest_ , then I can't imagine what the Quest Reward was.” Sora looks a little awkward.

“Five Gold Flags, and five vials of purified Vampire blood to use on the Flags. Aside from two thousand gold coins, that was all I got for a reward. The loot was not much better really. Aside from those arrows, I only found Dashing Leather Boots and some padded gloves.” Sinon looks disappointed.

“Well that's a stingy quest.” Sora sighs.

“Tell me about it. Not a fun one either. I got poisoned by the spiders, had my arm broken by the vines, and those damn Vampires bit me seven times, trying to turn me into one of them. Luckily I've got a Light Element Sword Skill, so I was able to hurt them pretty bad in retribution for biting me, but it still sucked. Pun intended. Still, the boots are serving me well, and the Gold Flags will be important to the rest of the players in this world later on. Having the vials of blood is doubly useful.” Kirito looks intrigued.

“Is the blood you have a viable alternative to me biting one of us?” Sora shakes his head.

“Only if you want to die. Purified Vampire blood is highly toxic to Vampires, on account of the purification process. It's a more effective weapon against Vampires than light or silver, and a very nasty way to go. No, there's other uses for this blood. In theory, I could use it to brew potions, but my Apothecary Skill is untrained, so the potions would be revolting at best. I intend to use these on the Gold Flags. I'm assuming you've not been told about those, so I'll explain. Gold Flags are used to create Safe Zones out in the wild. In this game, an abundance of Safe Zones is important. It'll allow any of the guilds also marching on the Tower of the Gods to rest up frequently, so they don't die of exhaustion. Purified Vampire blood is one of several substances used to expand the Safe Zones set up by Gold Flags. A Gold Flag creates a Safe Zone with a ten metre radius. A single vial of Purified Vampire blood will expand the Safe Zone to twenty-five metres. If the blood was _not_ purified however, the Gold Flag would become a Crimson Flag, the Safe Zone would become a Danger Zone, and anyone within the zone would be attacked by the Vampires and Demons that would spawn in. I'll include a full report on Gold Flags in the notes I compile and send out tonight, so don't worry about memorising it just yet.” Kirito looks disappointed.

“I see. That's too bad. I really don't want to have to feed on anyone's Life Force. I'm really starting to regret this Race decision.” Sora waves aside the concern.

“Don't worry about it, seriously. Chances are you'll only have to bite if you're in a pinch. I'll see if I can come up with any smart ideas, but as Sinon said; I do all my thinking between battles. Let me know if you start getting dizzy though. That's the first sign that you need to feed. Dizziness, migraine, fever, and then hallucinations. That's the sequence in which the symptoms appear. Don't ever let the symptoms develop to the last stage. There's a 90% chance of you feeding on someone until they die if you do. Try not to let it get past dizziness if you can help it.” Kirito nods.

“I'll bear that in mind.” Sora stands straighter, and pops the vertebrae in his neck.

“Please do. Alright, that's enough talking for now. If we linger any longer the Goblins are going to start searching for us. Let's get moving, at a slower pace of course. I could do without running us into any _more_ traps.” Sora starts walking, taking the lead while Yui hovers above his head. Suguha follows behind him, then Klein. Cassandra, Evan, Asuna and Kirito fall in line next, then Sinon, leaving Agil to bring up the rear. The tunnel is very narrow, and twists frequently, constricting further at each bend and hampering progress. At one point the group has to stop and chip away at the rocks before Agil is able to squeeze through. The sound attracts unwanted attention in the form of six Goblins who line up to try to block them off. Sora looks unimpressed by the tactic.

“Seriously? That's the best you morons could come up with? You guys are so dead.” Sora crouches down like a sprinter preparing to race, and Death Viper glows with a scarlet light as he activates a Sword Skill. Sora lunges forwards with ferocious speed, thrusting his Sabre at all six Goblins. Only half of the Goblins are impaled on the blade, but the force of the Sword Skill knocks the other three on their backs, allowing Yui to finish them off. Sora tuts.

“I know Goblins aren't the smartest of enemies, but that was just embarrassing.” Sora resumes walking, keeping a watchful eye on the walls. After two tight left turns, Sora stops, something nagging within his mind. _I don't like this tunnel. I've never really been claustrophobic, but there's something about this tunnel that doesn't sit right with me. We've been gradually descending, to this point it seems. The path slopes upwards again. Meaning that this is a depression. Meaning that anything that flows down here will accumulate in this area. But what will accumulate exactly? Water? Lava? Molten steel? Or something... else? My head... it feels a little fuzzy. There's definitely something wrong here_. Suguha speaks up.

“Is anyone else feeling out of breath or just me?” Sora's head twitches up at these words as the gears start turning. _Out of breath? I need to run an Analysis Check_. Sora focuses his mind as best he can, slowing his breathing and his pulse. His vision ripples slightly, and a fog of extremely pale grey smoke seems to roll down the slope towards them. The light bulb illuminates in Sora's mind.

“Carbon Monoxide! Yui: Wind spell!” Yui raises her wand before her, and it shines with a pale blue light.

“Yfua!” A gust of wind blows through the tunnel from behind, scattering the grey fog that only Sora can see.

“Quickly, we need to rise above it and destroy the source.” Sora rushes forwards, and the others rush with him, keeping up with the gust that clears the air. They turn around four tight corners, gradually ascending the steady slope, until the tunnel opens out. At the crest of the slope stands a trio of Goblins holding glowing white orbs. Sora reacts faster than the Goblins, and faster than Yui, as he thrusts out his left palm.

“Kahkrillos!” A small flash emits from Sora's palm, and the central Goblin is struck with an explosive electric shock. Bolts of electricity shock the other two Goblins as well, but unlike the first, they survive. Sora lunges forwards, slashing one of the surviving Goblins twice, killing it. As he thrusts Death Viper at the remaining Goblin's throat, the Goblin thrusts his orb, moving too quickly for Sora to do anything about. _Oh shit!_ The sword pierces the orb, and blinding white light shines out from the cracks that form. Hurricane winds roar into the orb, before a deafening explosion blasts it apart, flinging Sora across the tunnel and slamming him hard against the wall. An ethereal scream fills the air as a shapeless white figure takes on a form, transforming into a giant, horrific spider-human hybrid.


	5. The King, the Wretch, and the Traitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rescue Team continues its battles through the Cave of Origins, aiming to rescue the sister of Evan Wood from King Mawlocke. As they battle on however, Sora is again brought to the brink of death, and a traitor in their midst is exposed. Can they survive this traitor? Will they defeat King Mawlocke? And what awaits them if they do?

Sora stands shakily, and looks up into the blood red eyes of the monstrosity before him. _This is not good. At all. Can I really fight a Wretch Spirit at my level? Do I even have a choice in that?_ The spirit seems to answer that question for him as its front two limbs split into grotesque scythe-like appendages. Two arrows pierce the spirit, erupting shadows upon impact. The spirit screeches in pain as it turns towards Sinon angrily. Sora's sword turns pitch black, and he races forwards, leaping at the spirit. He slashes furiously, severing one pair of appendages, before stepping onto the joint of one of the rear legs, using it to clamber over the spirit. He slashes its back twice as he traverses the spirit, before spinning around mid-air to spit a fireball into its right flank. He charges back to the spirit, who fires spheres of white light at Sora. He cleaves the spheres apart with his sword, and they fade out of existence. The spirit slashes at Sora, who grabs onto one of the scythes and rolls along it, closing the gap between both combatants. As he drops off the appendage, he slashes the chest of the spirit open, before plunging his left hand into the laceration. A maelstrom of thoughts and images flood Sora's mind, overwhelming him. Through the chaos comes a single word. As the spirit brings its scythe down, aiming to cleave Sora in two, he speaks that word.

“Tzirian.” The spirit seizes up, and disintegrates into nothingness. An intense burning in Sora's left hand and his face drive him to his knees, but he bears through the pain without crying out. Almost immediately, he feels Asuna's healing magic, and a hand on his shoulder. Sinon's voice rings through the haze of agony.

“Hey! Are you ok? Come on, talk to me!” Sora leans back against the wall, gritting his teeth.

“That... sucked. I never expected something like that to happen so early in the game. Word of advice: never shatter a Magic Orb. It's a bad idea. Even someone of a higher level like me ended up taking a considerable beating. I should be ok, soon enough, but these aren't your typical wounds. They won't heal properly. Ever. These are the result of powerful spirit-type magic. I've been Spirit Scarred. That's likely to have multiple implications on the game and its progression. NPCs will treat us differently, because they can clearly see that I survived an encounter like this.” Kirito edges forwards, with the others sticking close by him. They can all see the scars on Sora's skin, glowing bright white against his crimson canvas.

“What _was_ that thing? I've never seen anything like it before.” Sora takes a moment to marshal his thoughts.

“A Spirit. A Wretch Spirit to be precise. That's where Magic Orbs get their power from. The Orbs are basically prisons that leech the power of a Spirit and uses that power to grant a mage the ability to cast spells. Break the prison, and you free the Spirit. Of course, that doesn't mean the Spirit will be grateful. Even Spirits are susceptible to Stockholm Syndrome. This one was an example of that. Spirits are high-level monsters though, and quite powerful. They can be killed with certain weapons, spells and Sword Skills, but I didn't possess any of those with sufficient strength to triumph. I did something else instead, something more... painful, for both of us. I made contact with the Spirit's core, and learned it's True Name. A Spirit that has its True Name spoken to it... dies. It's the most effective method of killing a Spirit, but not at all pleasant. By being in contact with the Spirit's core, you yourself become connected to it. Memories, thoughts, emotions... all flow back and forth across that connection. The worst part of it though, is the Spirit's awareness as it dies. I can't find the words to describe how horrifying it is to be connected to something as I terminate its existence. Right now, I can't even imagine anything more unpleasant. That being said, I'm glad I didn't know the consequences of my actions before taking them. If I had, I would have hesitated, and I would have been killed. Sinon would as well, for firing those arrows. The Spirit probably wouldn't have attacked anyone else. I was the main aggressor since I shattered the Orb, and Sinon also harmed the Spirit. No-one else did anything to it, so it wouldn't have even acknowledged your existence, most likely. Not until you tried fighting it.” Sinon looks at Sora, deeply worried.

“Are you going to be alright? Do you want to back out of this quest?” Sora hesitates.

“Whether or not I'll be alright is beyond my ability to calculate. I've never encountered a situation like this before. In all honesty, I don't know how to cope with it, but I don't really have a choice. There are more than two and a half million people in this game right now. They are all depending on us to free them. We need to be as strong as we can be in order to save them as quickly as possible. I don't like the thought of pushing myself, and I know you'd advise against it, but I can't foresee any harm. I'm still able to fight, I just seem to be pretty shaken up. As long as I can keep my head on straight, keep my mind working as it always has, then I should be fine to carry on. I'd rather not back out just yet, if I can help it. We won't encounter something like that again, in all probability. Goblins aren't known for sacrificing their magical implements. This was a one-off thing. That Spirit was the strongest monster we'll encounter on this quest, without a doubt.” Sinon still looks worried.

“Alright, I won't argue with you, but right now you're not in the best of conditions. You might object to this, but tough. You appointed me as leader, so now I'm going to take an initiative as the leader. Nothing major, just a shake up of our organisation.” She turns to face the others.

“Cassandra: I want you to replace me on point, backing up Agil and Kirito. Suguha: I'll take your place on the frontline, so I want you to take Cassandra's place in the middle. Having an Elven Archer on the frontline is just as good as having an Elven Scout, and it lets me keep a closer eye on this big lug.” Sora stands slowly, wincing in pain.

“That sounds fine to me. When you said you were going to reorganise, I thought you meant you'd take me off the frontline. _That_ I would have objected to, but this is fine. We still have someone with ranged capabilities on point, so that's covered. I don't foresee any problems with the change in formation, if you think you'll be alright fighting on the frontlines. That's not typically where the leader goes, but with two ranging specialists at the front, the enemies will have a tough time reaching you.” Sinon nods.

“Yes, that's the whole point. Besides, once you've recovered properly, you'll be able to cut down any Goblins who manage to slip past my arrows and Yui's spells. I'm a little worried I may be weakening our rear guard, but Cassandra seems to be a capable enough combatant, so I think we'll be fine.” Sora holds Death Viper out, and notices a lack of stability in his hand, the shaking quite visible. He tuts. _Damn. That fight shook me up worse than I anticipated. I won't be able to use Death Viper for a while, not until I've calmed down_. He sheaths the sword, and moves it to his item storage. At the same time, he withdraws a pair of serrated daggers, the same ones he used in the fight against the Lizardmen just before Reality Bytes made their announcement. He spins the blades around his hands endlessly, his body just about responding quickly enough to keep up with him. He repeatedly flips the daggers between offensive and defensive positions, and activates two Skills consecutively, slashing the air and imaginary foes. Cassandra seems intrigued by the blades.

“I didn't have you down as the Dagger-wielding type. Those are good blades, if you don't mind me saying.” Sora shrugs.

“They've served me pretty well, but their durability isn't great. Two hundred hits each, at the most. After that, they're gone. I can't use Death Viper at the moment, so I have to find an alternative. It's either these or the hatchets, but I prefer using the latter as throwing weapons rather than for close range combat. Besides, I have more Skills that can be used with Daggers than I do for Axes. Alright, well, I'm about as ready as I'll ever be I guess. Let's get moving.” The group quickly rearranges itself into the new formation, before moving out, marching at a steady pace through the tunnels. Sinon keeps a very close eye on Sora the whole time.

“By the way, that spell you used: what was that about? I thought you said that your Combat Spells don't require incantations.” Sora nods.

“Normally they don't, but this is the only one that has an incantation. It _can_ still be used without it, but doing so would only hurt a single target. By using the incantation, I can strike multiple targets at once. The Thunder-burst Spell is weird like that. Casting without incantation is stronger, but at my level it can still kill if I target multiple enemies. The damage it deals reduces as it spreads out to more targets, but sometimes that's a good thing. I'd rather injure many and leave them a single hit from death than kill one and leave the rest at full health. Then again, I'm a speed-type fighter, so handling multiple weakened enemies is easier than dealing with several full-strength ones.” Sinon raises an eyebrow. _So now I know that he definitely has aggressive Spells, not just utility ones. That's useful information. If we ever come across a swarm of bats or something, he'll be good at taking them down_. As they round a corner, Sora seems to slow down. He signals for everyone to stop, before taking two steps forwards. He raises his right hand, purple light shining from it.

“Skrisha.” A pulse of purple light emits from his hand, sweeping the tunnel ahead, and the small chamber beyond that. Sora looks curious, and a little concerned.

“No enemies, but I _am_ sensing traps. Six of them. I'm not seeing the trigger mechanisms. Nothing obvious like a tripwire at least. I think the most probable trigger is magic based. That makes destroying the traps more difficult. There are likely to be more spells left lying around than the Trigger Spells. So, what would be the best way to proceed? Walking in is suicide. If the extra spells don't kill us, the traps will. Ranging the traps themselves won't work in all probability. There's likely to be defensive spells specifically to prevent that tactic. So what would work? Hmm.” Sora becomes lost in thought as his mind races with possibilities. Sinon takes a step forward.

“When it comes to spells that have been placed; speed is essential. They don't always act instantaneously.” Sinon draws her bow, pulling the string back as far as she can manage, before releasing. The arrow soars across the chamber and into the tunnel at the other end, burrowing into the wall as that tunnel bends. Sora seems intrigued by this.

“I see. So that's how it is.” Without any indication, Sora rockets forwards like a Railgun. Two Spell Sigils appear midway through the chamber, but Sora slashes them both with his Daggers, and the Sigils smash like glass. At the other end of the chamber, Sora stops and spins around. He looks up, seeing something that is blocked from Sinon's view. He raises his right had at whatever it is he sees.

“Kahkrillos!” An explosion of electricity illuminates the chamber, and shards of rock and black glass rain down, showering the floor. Numerous Spell Sigils appear and shatter without explanation. Sora's voice rings out.

“All clear. The traps have all been disabled, and the spells destroyed.” The group starts walking through, a little hesitant. When nothing bad happens to them, they walk more confidently. Sinon looks displeased with Sora's impulsiveness again.

“I could have sworn I told you not to be so impulsive.” Sora shrugs.

“It was better this way. I didn't feel like having the plan debated, and the only other alternative would be the Battleship approach, but that could take hours. I'm not going to waste hours.” Kirito looks confused.

“The Battleship approach? What's that?” Sora tilts his head to one side.

“You've never heard of the game Battleship? I'll admit it's pretty old, but also pretty well known. I figured you'd be familiar with it.” Kirito thinks back, trying to remember something.

“Battleship... a strategy game right? Two players place ships on a grid, then try to guess where the opponent's ships are and sink them, right?” Sora nods.

“That's right. So you _do_ know it then. Trying to find five ships on a two-dimensional grid takes long enough as it is, but spells can be placed in mid-air. This chamber is essentially a three-dimensional Battleship grid, and trying to find an unknown number of spells on a 3D grid by hit and miss tactics like that is a ridiculously time consuming option. By propelling myself across the grid quicker than the spells' response times, I could locate the core of the Spell System: an Onyx Brain. Granted, two spells tried to activate, but my Sword Skill took care of them.” Sinon sighs.

“Next time you rush off without telling me, I'm putting an arrow into your arse.” Sora raises his hands in surrender.

“Alright alright, I'll give you a heads up in future. I'm going to have to. I rather like being able to sit down without crying.” Sinon nods, seeming satisfied with this.

“Good, now let's get moving.” As the group resumes its march, Kirito glances between Sinon and Sora, sensing something between them. _Is there something going on with these two? They seem pretty close lately. All of this joking around, even when things get serious. Then there's the concern Sinon's been showing Nebula. It's unusual, to say the least. I've never seen Sinon behaving this way before. She seems to be pretty happy over all though, even when she's lecturing him. She enjoys spending time with Nebula, but what does that mean exactly? Does she have feelings for him? Are those feelings reciprocated? It's difficult to say. I'll try asking Yui later on. She's been monitoring Nebula's emotional state, so she should know the answer_. The group navigates the tunnel for a little while before coming to an intersection. Two tunnels join theirs. Along each tunnel runs seven dogs, most of them fur-less and slightly scaly, and a Goblin wielding a Pike seems to be shepherding each pack of dogs. Sinon starts firing arrows at the dogs on the left, while Yui and Cassandra cast spells on the dogs to the right. Two dogs survive the arrows and lunge for Sinon, only to be intercepted by Sora, who slashes and stabs viciously. The dogs perish, and then the Goblins attack, both thrusting their Pikes at Sora. He grabs the Pikes as he spins himself around, pushing the weapons above and below himself as he leans backwards, striking a limbo pose. The Goblins twist their Pikes so that the hook-like blades point inwards, towards Sora, before yanking back. Sora swings out with his Daggers, stopping the hooks, then pushing away again as his strength overpowers that of the Goblins. Kirito jumps in, slashing the right hand Goblin's throat twice, while Agil slams the other with his shield before thrusting his sword through its heart. The Goblins disintegrate, and the tunnels fall silent. Klein steps forwards.

“There's something I've been wondering about these dogs-” Sora seems to predict what it is Klein plans to ask.

“You want to know why they look the way they do, why they seem larger, why they lack fur, and why some even seem to have scales. They're referred to as dogs, but that's not an accurate description really. These particular canines are known as Cave Hounds. Despite their habitat, Cave Hounds tend to be large animals, no smaller than a Greyhound when fully grown, while most tend to grow to the size of wolves or even small horses. Fur is generally something they don't need here. Caves tend to be cooler than outdoors, admittedly, but it's pretty rare that you'll encounter freezing temperatures within them. Being underground, or in mountains, they have endless layers of dirt, rock, sediment, clay and so on, acting as insulation, so caves tend to maintain a constant temperature. Since freezing temperatures are so rare here, fur isn't necessary for insulation. Cave Hounds have _some_ fur, usually, but not for insulation. Fur is an indication of strength amongst Cave Hounds. The stronger they are, the more fur they possess. As for the scales, well: technically Cave Hounds aren't mammals. They're not quite reptiles either, but something in between. The result is a semi-scaly skin that looks pretty hideous, but also provides better protection.” Klein tries to take all this in.

“Is that so? Your extensive knowledge never ceases to amaze me. I'm most surprised you can remember it all. I feel like my brain's going to fry.” Kirito pats him on the shoulder.

“That's because you're an idiot.” Klein narrows his eyes at Kirito.

“So says the idiot who tried to throw away Excalibur. If it wasn't for Sinon, you'd be without a Legendary Weapon. Only an idiot would casually toss one of _those_ aside.” Suguha stands beside Sora, who has been staring intently into the central tunnel for some time now, even during his explanation about the Cave Hounds.

“Are you ok? I know that no Goblins came from that way, but that's not the tunnel we want. If you're still looking for fresh water, it's the right hand tunnel.” Sora nods slowly. Without warning, he spits a fireball into the tunnel. The flames illuminate only smooth rock walls, and a dead end, which the fireball extinguishes against. _I see. Well, whatever happens, happens. I may come to regret this decision, or I may be grateful for it. We'll see_. Sora shakes his head.

“Sorry. The problem with maintaining a state of borderline paranoia is that you start to see things. I thought there was something suspicious about this tunnel, but apparently not. It doesn't even go anywhere. Still, I thought it would be a good idea to play it safe. So, the right hand tunnel you say? That fits in with my predictions. We're angling in roughly the right direction for what I figured.” As the group starts walking down the tunnel Suguha indicated, Sinon speaks to Sora curiously.

“You made a prediction for where we'd be going?” Sora nods.

“I did, but it's only really based upon a hunch. We're heading north-west over all. I figured that might be the most likely place. The mountains on this side are higher, sure, but they're also more scattered, meaning that there'll be plenty of places to set up a Ritual Site. I vaguely recall seeing a small lake near here on the map as well, but I never thought anything of it until this quest started, so I didn't assess it in detail. We don't have that much further to go, I think. Half a kilometre at the most. Once we get out of the tunnels, it'll be pretty easy going actually. I look forward to that. Caves are interesting to read about and all, but I don't like spending a long time in them. Knowing I've got a mountain sitting on top of me is a daunting and oppressive feeling. It's pretty hard to move about in caves as well, so I'm pretty restricted.” Sinon nods.

“I see. That's a pretty interesting hunch you had. I would have thought the Goblins would set up a ritual site in the east, where the terrain is much more mountainous, therefore much better for hiding sacred ground within.” Sora thinks about this.

“That's a valid point, and it could well end up being true. I have no evidence to back up my own theory at present, so it's entirely probable that I'm leading us in the wrong direction. We'll just have to wait and see. Either I'm right, in case we're nearly at the end, or I'm wrong, in which case I've missed out something important, so we'd have to backtrack a fair way while I try and figure out where I goofed up, and figure out where we're supposed to be going exactly.” Sinon raises an eyebrow.

“And what's the probability of you goofing up?” Sora hesitates as he tries to calculate.

“11.27% give or take. I don't make mistakes often, and big mistakes are rarer still. Even so, it's not something we can rule out exactly, but we can certainly prepare for that situation just in case.” As the group walks, they notice how quiet the tunnels have become. No Goblins, no Cave Hounds, no traps, nothing. The only footsteps are their own. The only noise of any kind is that which the rescue team makes. A fact that doesn't go unnoticed by Kirito.

“These tunnels have become strangely quiet all of a sudden. Where is everyone? I thought there was supposed to be about a hundred more Goblins around here? I'm pretty sure we didn't kill them all, so where are they hiding?” Sora is silent for a moment.

“I believe that most of them will be around the Ritual Site, protecting it from outsiders. The rest are still in the tunnels somewhere, waiting for us to walk straight into an ambush of some description most likely. It's possible that they may not have heard the initial warning horn, and therefore don't know we're here. It's also possible that they _did_ hear the horn, and all the chaos that has ensued since, and realised that they can't win. Goblins aren't the most intelligent creatures, but they're far from stupid. It's pretty rare that they'll deliberately fight a battle that has already been decided, except for a very specific reason. There's a pretty good chance that the remaining Goblins have realised our power and made a run for it. Mawlocke would be pissed if he found out. Fortunately, he won't be alive long enough to bring down retribution upon any theoretical deserters. Still, I don't like quiet caves either. My leading theory is the first one: that they're waiting to ambush us. If that's the case, Daggers are no good to me.” Sora returns his Daggers to his item storage, before equipping Sheep-biter to his Main Hand and Death Viper to his Off Hand, and drawing both swords. He looks at his hands with satisfaction. _That's better. I've regained my stability. It seems a little strange that combat has that effect upon me, but it does. My senses sharpen, my body braces for a fight, and my emotions stabilise. In battle, I fight on instinct and reflex, not on emotion. My body seems to have adapted to that now, and automatically forces my emotions into a state of equilibrium. It's only in the most severe cases that I'm not completely level in combat. The most common extreme variable is anger. There's been several occasions where anger overrides my self-control. Since coming to this game, it's happened repeatedly, most notably against Elric, but there were other times as well, before then_. After a few minutes of silence, the tunnel opens out into a fairly large cave, perhaps fifteen metres in diameter. In the centre of the cave is a pool of water, two metres across at its widest. There are no other tunnels leading into the cave. There are no recesses, no treasure chests, no signs of any traps. Nothing at all of any interest other than the pool. Sora edges in first, swords raised and poised for combat. _I don't like this. A dead end? There's nothing here at all?_ As Sora creeps towards the centre, he looks at the pool of water. He glimpses something reflected in the surface, something that generates a surge of adrenaline.

“ABOVE!” The others all look up to the ceiling, at the crowd of forty Goblins hanging there. Sora thrusts his right palm upwards.

“Urillia!” A brilliant ball of red light erupts from his palm, rocketing towards the stalactites and dazzling the Goblins as they drop down. Three Goblins fall around Sora, one being cut in half by Death Viper before it even hits the ground. The other two stumble around in blindness for only two seconds before Sora smites them with the Sheep-biter. The rest of the group wades into combat, but against so many Goblins, things aren't easy. Kirito gets slashed six times as he fights against almost a dozen opponents, his health dropping into the yellow before Asuna heals him. Yui hits those Goblins with a lightning bolt, freeing Kirito up to a degree, but the situation is much the same for everyone, save for Sora and Sinon, whose skills and high levels allow them to fight off the Goblins more effectively. As Sora lends support to a surrounded Klein and Suguha, the sound of pounding footsteps rings throughout the cave. More Goblins pour in through the tunnel, fifty of them in total, and they are very different from the other Goblins encountered so far. All of these new Goblins wear scale-mail armour and spiked helmets, and they all wield new-looking short swords. Behind them, a single Bugbear Commander walks in, standing two metres tall, and heavily muscled. The Bugbear wears extensive chain-mail armour with occasional strong plates protecting vital organs. In his hands, the Bugbear holds a fearsome two-handed Battle-axe. Sinon, being closest to the entrance, fires an arrow at the Bugbear Commander. Even though the arrow pierces deep into the Bugbear's right side, he shows no response to being hit whatsoever. Nearly half of the new Goblins swarm towards Sinon, swords poised to slash and stab furiously. A flash of steel ends the lives of two Goblins as Sora stabs them both through the neck with a single thrust from the Sheep-biter. Sora dances on his feet, executing a series of rapid thrusts that annihilate three more Goblins, and earning confusion from Sinon. _What is he doing? He's wielding that Longsword like a Rapier. Wouldn't he be better off slashing than thrusting? He seems strangely focused on precision. He's taken to fencing with the Longsword. Even his stance and footwork is typical of a fencer_. As Sora takes down two more Goblins with thrusts to the throat, the survivors begin to mill around him, focusing on him instead. They try to get close to him, trying to hack and slash and stab him, but Sora is able to hold them at bay well, using Death Viper defensively. Even so, against so many Goblins, and with more joining the fight against him, Sora finds himself getting injured repeatedly. He is in the Goblins' midst, so trying to block and avoid so many attacks is physically impossible. _I knew this would happen. The Goblins see me as the biggest threat, so they've aggro'd against me. Being aggro'd on a single target has its weaknesses however_. Six Goblins fall dead as Kirito, Asuna, Klein and Suguha charge in, slashing furiously, protecting each other in pairs. The reinforcements give Sora some room to breathe, but not as much as the two arrows that wipe out the pair of Goblins carving open his back. Sora thrusts for another Goblin, while Sinon covers his back from a distance. The Goblins are falling dead quickly, and the Bugbear starts marching towards the group. A Bastard Sword slashes the Bugbear across the chest, damaging the armour, before a Kite Shield slams him back a few steps. Agil appears before the Bugbear, blocking his path. The Bugbear snarls at Agil, slamming his shield with the Battle-axe twice, his strength counting for very little. Agil thrusts for the Bugbear's hip, the sword piercing deep with little resistance from the gap in the armour. The Bugbear roars, enraged, and hammers Agil's shield with a two-handed swing. The force of the impact knocks Agil onto his back. As the Bugbear bears down on Agil, a bolt of white light strikes him in the face, causing him to stumble backwards. Agil takes the opportunity and rises to his feet, slashing the Bugbear twice. Yui hovers by Agil's shoulder, wand ready for battle. Sora sees this, and sees the Bugbear recovering. He kicks a Goblin in the head, breaking its neck, and earning himself the room to break free. He rushes away from the Goblins, activating a Sword Skill on the move. As the Bugbear swings his Battle-axe at Agil, Sora jumps in and slashes with the Sheep-biter, parrying the attack.

“Switch!” Sora jumps back as Agil rushes in, slashing the Bugbear's shoulder and slamming him in the face with his shield. He drops back as the Bugbear recovers, allowing Sora to dart forth again, blocking two axe swings before parrying the third.

“Switch!” Again, Agil rushes forwards as Sora falls back, and strikes the Bugbear. The two of them maintain this pattern of switching in and out, Sora focusing mostly on parrying the axe. It is very rare that he hurts the Bugbear, letting Agil deal most of the damage. Whenever he gets the chance though, Sora makes a fencing thrust against the Bugbear, slipping past his defences to wear down the Commander faster. Yui darts between her two companions, protecting them with spells, and occasionally attacking the Bugbear whenever she gets a clear shot. This pattern they have is quite efficient, and the Bugbear's health drops quickly. As Sora parries an axe blow, knocking the weapon upwards, Agil rushes forwards as usual. This time however, the Bugbear reacts faster than usual, throwing a punch at Agil, who barely blocks it. Sora moves forwards once again to block and parry, having to dodge more as the Bugbear's attack patterns change. Yui fires a ball of flames at the Bugbear, hitting him in the face and emptying his health bar completely. She punches the air in triumph as she receives the Last Attack Bonus.

“Alright! I did it!” She senses the danger too late to do anything about it. She stares helplessly at the black bolt of magic energy that races towards her. A flash of crimson crosses her vision, as Sora dives before her, taking the spell himself. The Sheep-biter soars across the room, piercing Evan's chest, knocking him to the ground. Sora collapses as well as black lightning bolts arc across his body, and he writhes in pain. Evan stands again, looking furious, and no longer Human. Evan's appearance changes to that of a Goblin, one holding a black wand. He stabs the air with his wand, aiming for Sora.

“Bralki-” An arrow pierces Evan's throat, silencing him. His health bar empties, and Evan disintegrates. Both Yui and Sinon rush towards Sora, whose health drops into the red, black bolts of electricity still shocking him endlessly. Asuna stares in shock at the scene, until Yui shouts at her.

“Mommy! Save him!” Asuna sprints over to Sora's side and crouches by him, holding out both hands. White light radiates from her hands and envelopes Sora. The black lightning fades away, and Sora's health gradually refills. It takes some time for his health bar to refill, but even then Sinon seems anxious about him.

“Nebula! Speak to me! Are you alright?” Sora stirs, and rolls over heavily.

“I... think so. That was one nasty spell. It was even more painful than being Spirit Scarred, or when I was stabbed by that Red Player in the forest. I underestimated the power of that spell.” Sinon helps Sora to sit up, before hanging onto his shoulder as if afraid to let go of him. Asuna crouches down before him.

“I don't understand what just happened. Why did you attack Evan?” Sora marshals his thoughts.

“Because I was meant to. All along, I've been suspicious of Evan. Something never added up about his story. He said he took the family sword and went to fight the Goblins. So why did they capture him? It's not all that rare for Goblins take children, but usually, they take girls, snatching them while they sleep. They almost never take boys, certainly not ones who are trying to kill them. The Goblins should have killed him. Then there was the sword itself. Where is it? He was unarmed when we found him. None of the Goblins who had captured him carried a sword at all, not as an item drop at least. Did they really leave it behind? That doesn't add up either. Not if Evan was Human anyway. Evan, it turns out, was really a Goblin Mage disguised as a Human boy. I suspected as much from the moment he made his plea to us. He was a Goblin Mage, sent to lure in unsuspecting adventurers like us, leading us to our deaths before looting our corpses. The traps, the ambushes, this chaotic fight. They were all intended to kill us, but Evan underestimated us. The final ambush wasn't enough to kill us. In an act of desperation, Evan tried to kill Yui while she celebrated defeating the Bugbear Commander. My theory was confirmed. I didn't hesitate then. I protected Yui, and killed the Goblin that masqueraded as Evan Wood, or tried to anyway. I missed his heart, so he survived. As luck would have it, Sinon saw the truth as well and finished him off.” Kirito raises an eyebrow.

“So is that why you posed the scenario about being betrayed by a member of the group? Did you actually see this coming?” Sora nods.

“I did. It makes sense for this game really. This quest, difficult as it may be, is designed to test the trust of the group as much as its strength. After hearing Evan's story, I knew something was amiss, and I was sure that he was the traitor. If we were to scrutinize the tunnels with spells, we'd probably find hidden markers written in the Goblin language, which is usually derived from Dwarven in many RPGs. None of us here speaks Dwarven, let alone Goblin. Not that it matters. Your response to that scenario is exactly what I was looking for. The same with the second scenario actually. If _that_ situation ever arises, just do as you said you would. Don't worry about me. I omitted details deliberately to see how that would affect your answer, but you still made the right choice. With your response, everyone would survive that scenario. Including me, despite being outnumbered and injured. Incidentally, if you had made the wrong decisions in those two hypothetical situations, I would have left the guild without delay. It would have been suicide not to. I still think trust is going to be an issue, but I can see that there is a chance of our survival. As long as a chance exists, even a small one, I'll stay with this group and protect it to the best of my ability, without hesitation.” Kirito nods slowly.

“I see. So I take it then that the questions weren't _just_ about dealing with a traitor. You're genuinely trying to see if you can trust me, and if I trust you, right?” Sora nods again.

“That's right. Unfortunately, you answered exactly as I predicted you would. I'm not in the best of shape to go into detail right now, but you're too cold, too analytical, and too untrusting. I expected as much, but I still hoped to be proven wrong.” Klein crouches down as well.

“So is that it then? Is the quest over?” Sora shakes his head.

“No it isn't. We would have received a Quest Completion notice if that was the case. We haven't passed it, and nor have we failed it. The Evan Wood that we knew was a fake, but I believe there may have been a _real_ Evan Wood as well. The Goblin Mage mimicked his appearance and voice, allowing him to infiltrate our group and get us to wander the caves. There's also Evan's sister. I'm sure she's still alive. I believe that the imposter Evan was telling the truth about her being captured. We still need to find her then. We need to find the Ritual Site, kill Mawlocke, and rescue the girl. Only _then_ will we complete the quest.” Sinon nods, understanding the situation.

“That makes sense. Alright, so where do we go from here?” Sora points to the pool of water.

“When I looked into the pool earlier, just before I saw the reflection of the Goblins; I saw a tunnel at the bottom of the pool. That's where we need to go, in order to reach the Ritual Site.” Klein looks at the water in dismay.

“Are you saying that we have to swim?” Sora nods.

“That's right. I'm not an Elementalist, so there's nothing I can do about the water. I don't even know how much of it there is to deal with. That pool could be being fed from an underground lake, or a river, or a mountain spring. So our only option is to get wet. We don't have to go down far to reach the tunnel, which itself is pretty large. I'd say a two metre drop, while the tunnel itself is about a metre, maybe one and a half.” Yui flutters down and stands at the edge of the pool, examining it carefully.

“Hmm. Your estimates are pretty accurate. Based upon the volume of water, and the lack of current flow, this pool is being fed from a lake. It's a fairly short distance to swim, but even so, we'll need to use magic to get everyone through. We won't be able to hold our breaths long enough to swim through naturally.” Sora moves closer to the pool as well.

“I figured as much. How about the water itself? Is it potable?” Yui looks at him, momentarily confused.

“I... yes, the water is safe to drink. Why do you ask?” Sora smiles mischievously as he extracts a waterskin and a glass bottle from his inventory.

“You'll see.” He fills both containers with water from the pool, before returning them to his inventory. Yui shrugs, sensing that the answer will become apparent soon enough. She turns to Asuna.

“Mommy, I'll need your help to cast the necessary spells. I'm not high enough level to do it myself, so we need to perform a Spell Fusion to achieve the same results. I need to combine your Quenching and Respiration Spells with two of my own.” Asuna nods.

“Quenching and Respiration, I have enough Mana for that.” The two face each other, and chant in unison, performing differing wand movements. Asuna's wandwork consists of much looping and gentle bobbing.

“Geldis Coten Fyorna, Rando Elsyn Sioleph.” Yui sweeps and bounces with her wand, as if conducting an orchestra.

“Halubrin Stal'sy Umbret Caldifura, Lonsa Disslewyt Irilla Barbensior!” Two spheres of light emerge from each wand; white and blue from Asuna, green and silver from Yui. The four spheres of light merge together and expand outwards, covering everyone in the chamber. Icons appear next to everyone's health bars: a blue hourglass, and a blue foot. Yui explains the icons.

“The spells we've cast allows us all to breathe underwater for eight minutes, which should be more than enough time to reach the surface of the lake. There's also a spell that will allow us to walk underwater as easily as we walk on land. That will allow us to traverse the tunnel faster. That spell also lasts eight minutes. Once you submerge, the timers will start ticking away. Don't waste any time, or you could end up drowning.” Sora stands, looking satisfied with that outcome.

“That was good thinking. I've encountered too many players in VRMMOs who forget to make underwater movement easier. I'm glad you're not like them. That'll make things much easier on us. Alright then, let's rock and roll shall we?” Sora sheaths his swords, and jumps into the pool before anyone can stop him, sinking straight to the bottom and running into the tunnel. Sinon jumps in after him, Yui jumping in with her, and Agil follows, not showing hesitation either. One by one, the others all follow suit, with Cassandra bringing up the rear. She sees that the tunnel is very short; three metres at the most. Walking through it is a little tricky as the roof drops down considerably about halfway through, but that is the only real obstacle. Rising to the surface of the lake is what takes the longest. As the group breaks the surface, they see that the lake in which they swim is nestled in a clearing bordered by mountains. To the north is a small shore, spread out under the shade of many pine trees and conifers. A thick bank of fog rolls over the shore, gradually creeping over the lake surface. Asuna and Kirito start swimming towards the shore, when Sora holds an arm out.

“Wait. I don't like the look of that shore. Too many trees, too much fog. It's very suspicious. I'll go check it out. In the meantime, I want you all to dive and head east. There's a cluster of shallow caves there. Wait until I give the all-clear.” Yui pipes up.

“I'll go with you.” Sora doesn't turn around.

“Thanks for volunteering, but it's not my place to allow it. Ultimately it's up to your parents to approve of you accompanying me.” Asuna and Kirito exchange worried glances.

“You'll look after her won't you? You'll keep her safe?” Sora nods.

“You have my word. No matter what happens, I'll protect Yui over myself.” Asuna still looks worried, but sighs in resignation.

“Alright, you can go with him Yui. Just stay out of trouble, and stay close to him. Even though he gets into a lot of hairy situations, you're safer with him than being isolated where you're vulnerable.” Yui seems more upbeat about the situation.

“Don't worry mommy, daddy. I'll be fine. We both will. Just wait and see. We'll signal you over in just a little while.” Sora starts swimming towards the shore, hearing the others diving underwater. As he passes the centre of the lake, he speaks to Yui.

“I appreciate the support, I just hope my instincts are wrong. That shore looks like the perfect spot for an ambush though. The trees can hide archers, the fog can hide a small army. I'm 100% certain that there's hostiles waiting for us, I just don't know how many, or exactly what kind. Things could get dicey in an instant. Even so, focus on offensive spells. If you sense Mages, wipe those out first. I can take on any other Goblin, even an archer, but I have almost no defence against magic at this stage of the game. Just as we did with the Bugbear, I'll focus on blocking and countering, allowing you to train your magic skills. Since we don't have a Wizard in our group, we're going to end up depending on you heavily later on in the game. That's why I want you to level up as quickly as possible before then; so that you'll be able to support us easily.” Yui nods.

“I understand. I've already learned not to question your judgement. You know exactly what you're doing, even though there are times when you give off the impression of being uncertain. If you say that this is the best course of action, then it _is_ the best course of action.” Sora reaches the western edge of the shore and emerges onto it, creeping slowly. He draws his swords, holding Death Viper defensively.

“It might be an idea for you to perch on top of me. You might be a Pixie, but you're still easier to hit while flying than you are when hitching a ride on a player with a reputation for countering enemies to death.” Yui nods and lands on Sora's head, crouching down and holding onto his left horn. Sora edges further from the lake, the fog obscuring it from his vision. Sound disappears as the pair press into the blanket of white, Sora remaining strangely calm. Without warning, Sora slashes quickly, splitting an arrow in two. He shifts to the right, evading a sword thrust, and parries three more attacks that erupt from the whiteness, all of these catching Yui by surprise. _His reflexes... is that even possible? He's anticipating attacks at least as quickly as I am. I've never seen a Human predict attacks like this before._

“Yui! Help me out here!” Yui shakes off her surprise and starts assessing the situation. She tracks incoming arrows back to a cluster of four archers, and targets those. Five white bolts erupt from her wand, racing into the veil of fog. Blasts echo across the shore, accompanying the cries of pain. True to his word, Sora focuses solely on defending, doing his best not to kill any of the Goblins. Even so, one of them is slain accidentally as Sora parries an axe, his sword piercing the Goblin's skull. Yui focuses her attacks on the Goblins who pose the biggest threat to Sora, making short work of them with fireballs and Magic Missiles. As Sora parries a sickle, the Sheep-biter cleaves through the weapon, and the throat of the Goblin wielding it. Yui blasts a dagger wielder, and silence returns. Sora maintains a defensive posture nonetheless, ready for more. Yui shakes her head.

“It's alright now. I'm not sensing any more Goblins nearby. The coast is clear.” Sora relaxes, and sheaths his swords. He trudges back to the lake's edge and waves over to the caves, where his companions wait. As they swim over, Yui seeks to confirm a theory.

“Your reflexes were exceptional, and your instincts flawless. _Too_ flawless. In all the games I've seen, and out of all the players I've learned about, there is only one who matches your abilities. You're _him_ aren't you? Virtual Demon? You exceed everyone. Not even daddy has _that_ level of awareness. You detected attacks incoming as quickly as I did, perhaps even faster than that. I can think of no-one else capable of that other than Virtual Demon.” Sora is silent for a moment.

“Can you keep it a secret?” The question catches Yui by surprise.

“You want your identity to remain hidden? How come?” Sora doesn't delay this time.

“For the safety of the group, it's better if they don't know. In the previous quest, both Kirito and Klein seemed to be competing against me. Kirito even tried to take on Sabre Rattler; a Level 6 boss. That competitiveness is dangerous to the group. If Kirito keeps up that behaviour, he'll inevitably get himself killed. If we lose Kirito, this group will collapse, and more lives will be lost. We can't afford to lose a single person to this quest. It's not just for that though. I don't want everyone to become too dependent upon me. I need to get all of you to become as strong as possible, as soon as possible. That way, you'll be able to hold your own in any fight, freeing me up to do what I need to. If you depend on me too much, that too is fatal. What if I'm not there to bail everyone out? I don't even want to think about _that_ scenario, so don't give me a reason to.” Yui thinks this over for a moment.

“If you're sure that's what you want, I can keep it a secret. Even so, the truth will come out sooner or later. As the game progresses and the difficulty increases, your true skills are likely to be needed. They'll figure out who you are eventually.” Sora nods.

“I know. There's nothing I can do about that, but as things stand, I need to remain concealed. You remember the hypothetical questions don't you? Kirito doesn't trust me. He already knows I'm hiding something, and he won't respond well to the truth. I understand where he's coming from with having everything out in the open, but I'm not comfortable with that arrangement. If I'm being troubled by something, my performance drops. If my performance drops, people die. Too many have died because of me already. I'd rather be untrustworthy than be responsible for any more deaths.” Yui is silent for a moment.

“I see. Yes, that makes sense then. I understand the situation completely now.” Sora scratches his chin.

“Glad to hear it. Incidentally, you're not the only one who knows who I am. Sinon does as well. She's known since just before Reality Bytes appeared and took control of the game. We ran into each other in town. If I'm honest, I didn't expect to see her in DCO on launch night. If she'd left it just a day, or even just a few hours, she'd be in the real world. She'd be safe, instead of being trapped inside this Hell.” Yui shakes her head.

“I wouldn't be so sure about that. When Director Shiraishi approached mommy and daddy for help, they suggested asking Sinon to join us. Even if she'd been outside the game when Reality Bytes took over, she still would have come to this game, with the others. It's just how she is. She knows what it's like to face a situation where people can be killed in real life from a game. She's a Death Gun survivor after all. She'd want to help as many people survive this as possible, no matter the risk to her own life.” Sora sighs in resignation.

“Yeah, I thought that was the case. She's strong. I began to sense her strength three years ago, in Gun Gale Online. Since then she's grown stronger little by little. Ever since we became trapped in this nightmare though, her strength has increased exponentially. She's stronger than she looks. Far stronger than I am. I wouldn't be here without her, supporting me, sharing her strength with me. The Wretch Spirit, Elric, the Red Player in the forest. Any one of those instances should have killed me. They would have, if not for Sinon. My life is in her hands. I've never liked that feeling before, but now, for some reason; I feel inexplicably safe knowing that my life is in her hands.” Yui stares at Sora curiously. _Just now, I got a rare glimpse at Sora's true feelings. He wasn't acting vulnerable. He truly feels that way. He knows that his strength isn't as great as he once believed. He knows that he can die, really die, in this game. More importantly though, is that he knows his strength is linked to Sinon. As long as those two stay together, their chances of survival are good. As long as they live, we'll all live_. Sora interrupts her thoughts with a question of his own.

“Say Yui; you were the Mental Health Counselling Program of SAO, weren't you? You would have been observing all of the players, right? You'd have seen them all, including the ones you lost. I... I've been... I'm looking...” Sora finds himself struggling to talk as his heart hammers in his chest and his breathing becomes shallow and ragged, causing a knot to form within his throat. Yui looks at him in concern. _Sora is experiencing fear, unlike anything I've witnessed since I began monitoring him. Even in the face of death, he never felt this much fear. What is it that he's so afraid of?_

“Sora? What is it?” Sora shakes his head sharply.

“It's nothing! It's not important! Forget I said anything. I was... just being nosey I guess. I'm alright, I'm fine. No problems here.” Yui is visibly sceptical. She wants to try and investigate further, but the others are too close to the shore. Klein is the last one to leave the lake, shaking water from himself like a dog. He even smells like wet dog. Sora explains what went on.

“It was just as I suspected: the Goblins had set up an ambush for us. That means they know we're here. They know we're heading for the Ritual Site. There'll be more ambushes to come. The Goblins will be waiting for us to walk into a kill box and try to take us out. I'll do everything in my power to prevent that from happening. Once we clear the fog, we'll be fine, but right now it's obscuring my vision and providing Goblins plenty of cover. They know this area well enough to get around without seeing where they're going. They have the upper hand in that regard, so it's up to us to make sure their advantage goes to waste. We can't be far from the Ritual Site. The end is right in front of us, we just need to walk a little way to find it.” The group arranges itself into formation once more. Sinon and Suguha flank Sora at the front. Klein and Kirito flank Asuna in the middle, while Agil and Cassandra flank Yui at the back. Sora sets the pace, and everyone else matches it. Strangely, Sora seems to know exactly where he is going, even in the ocean of whiteness. As the fog presses in around them, most of the group opts to huddle, drawing in close together in order to present a united front against the white world. As they press further in, all sound vanishes. Even the sounds that they make seem muffled. Visibility is so poor that they can't even see their own hands, let alone the ground. The group huddles a little tighter, as if believing that being lost from sight for even a second would result in permanent isolation. They walk like this for a few minutes, all sense of direction completely lost in the blank canvas surrounding them, and yet; Sora seems to be confident about his bearing. He is able to navigate blindly, as if the fog were an illusion. Sora stops suddenly, raising an arm to stop everyone else as well.

“Sinon, ready your bow.” Sinon hesitates a moment, feeling uncertain as she grips her bow. Sora turns to face her, and she sees the change in his eyes. The irises glow unnaturally brightly, and his pupils are slits, like a snake. _All-Seeing Eyes. I've heard of this, but I've never seen them in action before. All-Seeing Eyes provide clarity of vision in situations where eyesight would be impaired. They use Mana to filter out the obstructing matter. The thing is, it's really demanding on your Mana. He can't keep this up for long surely. If I know Sora though, he probably only uses them sparingly, to confirm that he's leading us in the right direction_. Sora moves around behind Sinon, standing close to her as he guides her. As her pulse starts to race, Sora begins whispering instructions into her ear, making her heart beat ever faster.

“A little higher. That's good. A fair way to the right. Too far, left a little. There we go. Actually, let's go up a little more. That's perfect. Pull back on the string. Further than that. Alright, wait for my signal.” Sinon's head begins to swim from the whispers that tickle her ear. She can feel that her face is flushed, her palms are getting sweaty, and her knees tremble a little. She can also feel the warmth of Sora's body radiating outwards, only a few millimetres from her skin. The tension of the situation begins to counteract this, as her fighting instincts calm her nerve and her breathing.

“Fire.” Sinon looses the arrow, sending it into the infinite whiteness. A distant cry reaches her, more of shock than of pain, and a muffled thump follows. Sora suddenly sprints away, and the warmth vanishes in an instant. It takes a moment for Sinon and the others to follow after Sora, who stands over a wounded Goblin, pinning its injured leg under his foot, and pressing his Sheep-biter against its throat. Sinon glimpses her arrow, protruding from the Goblin's collar bone.

“How many Goblins patrol this area? Tell me, and I'll ease your suffering.” The Goblin snarls at Sora.

“Save your breath, crimson devil. I will not answer your questions. It is a wasted effort.” Sora sighs.

“I figured you'd say that, so I planned ahead. Don't worry, I have ways of making you talk.” He extracts the waterskin from his inventory, and takes a swig of water. Rather than swallow, Sora sprays the water at the Goblin, before thrusting his left palm at the fine mist he created.

“Urillia!” A bolt of red light explodes from his palm and enters the mist, where the droplets focus the light, making it more intense, and helping it to project further as a result. The Goblin flinches in fear and cries out.

“No! I'll talk! Twenty-eight! There are twenty-eight Goblins patrolling nearby!” Sora thrusts the Sheep-biter into the Goblin's throat without hesitation. Sinon approaches Sora's side.

“What happened to him? Why did that Goblin get afraid?” Sora glances at her, his eyes looking normal again.

“There are some legends about Goblins which states that light hurts them. If you look deeply enough into the folklore of a few regions, you find a common link. That link being that Goblins are deathly afraid of red light. They associate it with Hell. More than that though, they believe that seeing the red light means that they are going to be taken to Hell without any delay. When I first learned the Signal Spell, I had a choice of which colour I wanted the light to be. I chose red, because of this. Well, not _just_ this, but it was certainly a part of the reason. I'm not a fan of red normally, but red light has plenty of uses for someone well-versed in myths, legends and folklore. Still, a standard Signal Spell doesn't quite work. I learned that back in the cave ambush. The light wasn't intense enough, so I needed to focus it. Hence the water. I used the water as a lens, focusing the light of my Signal Spell, and achieving sufficient intensity for scaring the crap out of that Goblin. Now that I know there are twenty-eight more, all nearby, I know my next course of action. Get ready to run. Things are going to be happening very quickly, and if you fall behind you'll be left behind. We'll only have one short window of opportunity, so let's not waste it.” Sora returns the waterskin to his inventory, and withdraws the bottle of water. He hurls it straight upwards with all his might.

“Cantis Thaesiron!” A small white bolt fires from Sora's raised palm, chasing the bottle into the fog. A blast like a firework rings out, reverberating painfully. Sora's palm remains elevated.

“Urillia Seskinara!” A sphere of red light erupts from Sora's palm and flies skywards. After about two seconds, the entire fog bank turns blood red. Cries of shock, fear and anguish ring out all around them. Sora breaks into a charge, and the others follow hot on his heels. He leads them up a narrow path carved into the rock face. They ascend steadily, rushing towards the fearful cries. As they round a bend, Sinon sees a Goblin laying on the ground, cowering in fear, shielding his eyes. Sora doesn't slow down as he slashes at the Goblin, his sword passing deep into its neck. As the group charges at full speed, still climbing higher, they encounter more Goblins gripped by terror. Sora never slows down for even a second. He attacks each Goblin in passing, but not all are killed by him. Kirito usually finishes them off, but even he fails sometimes, leaving Klein to deal the death blow. Pretty soon, the group bursts out from the rolling fog, climbing above it. To their left, they can see Sora's Signal Spell, hovering in the air like a rescue flare. Below the Spell is a dome of water droplets, one that falls unnaturally slowly. The Signal Spell flickers and gradually fades away. As the light disappears, Sora slows his pace, becoming more cautious, and scanning all around him, looking for something. Sinon spots movement in the shadows near Sora's feet and fires, her arrow passing through the skull of a Goblin as it emerges from a low-set hole in the cliff face. Sora looks at this Goblin in surprise, and relief.

“Ah! That's where he was hiding. I counted twenty-seven Goblins before now, so I was beginning to wonder where the last one was. Now I know. Good shot Sinon. He didn't even leave the shadows before you nailed the sucker.” Sora starts walking again, maintaining a calm pace, holding the Sheep-biter and Death Viper a little slackly. Asuna moves forwards to talk to Sora as a question comes to mind.

“What exactly did you do just now? I've never seen water falling so slowly before, and your Signal Spells have never lasted that long before either.” Sora glances at her.

“It was just a bit of clever spellcasting really. The water was the result of me using the sound part of a Signal Spell, and combining it with a Feather Fall Spell. The normal incantation for a Signal Spell is 'Cantis Urillia'. Roughly translated, that means 'Loud noise and bright light.' By dissecting the spell, I took the 'Loud noise' part, and used that to shatter the glass bottle. The Feather Fall Spell then caused the scattered water droplets to fall very slowly. The light was the result of me using the 'Bright light' part of a Signal Spell, and combining it with a Prolonging Spell. That latter spell is commonly used to extend the duration of other spells, making them last longer. The result of all this is a light that hangs in the air like a signal flare, being magnified by a slowly descending wide-area lens, thus crippling our enemies long enough for us to eliminate them without having to engage in a drawn out battle in dense fog. Not that the fog would have lasted much longer. You can see it's actually moving away, towards the centre of the lake. Once it does, it'll condense further and sink into the lake surface, merging with it.” Asuna looks pretty surprised by the answer.

“You're capable of dissecting and reconstituting spells like that? That's pretty amazing!” Sora merely shrugs. Cassandra moves up beside him as well.

“This is the second time now I've seen you Multicasting. You only paired Spells this time around, but during the initial chaos in the aftermath of the Reality Bytes announcement, you performed Multicasting then as well, didn't you? You combined several spells at once. I'm amazed anyone's capable of doing that, this early in the game I mean.” Sora shrugs again.

“I don't see why you should be. It's not like I did anything particularly special. During that chaos, I only combined four spells. Let's see, there was the Signal Spell, the Calmness Spell, the Vocal Magnification Spell, and the Airwave Spell. That last one is what extinguished the fires, in case you were wondering. Multicasting isn't actually that hard to do, as long as you know what you're doing. If you know what the Magic Language actually means, then combining spells is pretty easy. You just have to dissect several spells, isolate the relevant incantations, then combine those fragmented incantations together into one spell. The hardest part of Multicasting is knowing which spells you can or cannot combine. Basically, any incantations with opposing effects cannot be combined, as the two separate spells would cancel each other out. You can't combine a Fireball Spell and a Water Spout Spell for example, or a Healing Spell with a Poisoning Spell. They just cancel each other out, and the combined spell collapses. Multicasting is a very handy skill to have as it saves on time, as opposed to casting several spells in sequence. At the same time though, it's very demanding on Mana. This is actually a skill I picked up from Mage World Online; a Magic-only VRMMO. I was so good at Multicasting that I became known as Magic Maelstrom for it.” Asuna does a double take at this.

“Eh? But Magic Maelstrom is the name given to Virtual Demon in MWO. I should know, I'm one of the top 10 Spellcasters in that game.” Sora sighs.

“Right, right. I should say that I _was_ known as Magic Maelstrom. I was the original. I scouted the game and learned that skill. After telling Virtual Demon about it in ALO one day, he started playing it too. 'A Magic-only game might be more of a challenge for me.' Or so he said. I taught him how to Multicast. Boy did I underestimate how quickly he learns. Took him three hours to not only learn it, but outclass me with it. Because of his infamy, he became Magic Maelstrom, and I was forgotten in an instant. I was pretty bitter about it at the time, but not so much any more. I'm still a little peeved that I was forgotten about though. I mean, I was the first Multicaster. They could have at least _tried_ to remember me. Well, Virtual Demon does, so I guess that's all that matters.” Asuna looks at Sora curiously.

“Is that so? I wonder how often that happens? Virtual Demon never seems to show up to a new game right away. He's always waited at least a week before putting in an appearance. I wonder if there are other players who were famous until he arrived.” Sora nods.

“I think that's a given really. After all, you guys were pretty famous in ALO until he showed up and decimated everything. The name 'Death Gun' is still remembered, due to the Death Gun Killings, but 'Pistol Prince' is much more well known now. It seems like every game has a famous player at some stage, until he shows up. It's just the way he is though. Sora's skills are unparalleled. He adapts to new challenges and learns new tricks almost instantly. While most players work their arses off to make the learning curve, he comes in and stays ten steps ahead of the curve with only a fraction of the effort. Anyone who's ever fought against him should know that by now. You yourself should know as well. You said you were in the top 10 in MWO; would you be Inazuma Senkō by any chance?” Asuna hesitates a moment, before nodding.

“That's right. Why do you ask?” Sora smiles faintly.

“Just confirming a suspicion. You should know better than most people just what Virtual Demon is capable of. I watched the two of you fight in the Spellpocalypse Tournament. The final round, you and him atop Blood Thunder Mountain. Sora vaporised you with a 148-spell Multicast. No-one ever challenged him to a duel ever again after that. No-one's ever survived more than forty simultaneous spells before, so they're not going to try taking on more than triple that. It's suicide. Which is why he did it. He got bored of people always challenging him to duels, so he decided to send everyone a clear message. You just happened to be unfortunate enough to be his means to that end. By utterly annihilating you with more than a hundred spells at once, he got the peace and quiet he was after.” Sora suddenly holds out an arm and ducks behind a boulder. Everyone else drops down as well. Sora turns and signals for them to remain quiet, before peering over the boulder. Sinon peers over as well, and sees a small box canyon, so deep that light doesn't reach the bottom of it. There is nothing in the canyon as far as she can see. As she glances at Sora, she sees that his irises have turned gold. He crouches behind the boulder again, and in a low voice; relays what he saw.

“There are fourteen Goblin soldiers in the canyon below. Sword wielders, with good armour. Like that last battalion in the caves. There are also four Bugbear Commanders. Two wield Claymores, one wields a Halberd, and the other wields a pair of Flame-bladed Longswords. King Mawlocke is down there as well, but I couldn't get a clear look at his weapons. I also saw a girl, I'm assuming it's Evan's sister. She's definitely a Human, maybe eight years old, and she's alive. She's been tied to a ceremonial altar, and I think drugged as well, but I can't be certain at this range. I don't think that's all for the Goblins though. There's probably a number of archers and mages hiding down there as well, amongst the rocks, in the scant few trees, or else in shallow fissures. I can see two paths leading down to the canyon, and neither is particularly favourable. The western-most path is impossible to sneak in from. It's in full view of King Mawlocke's throne, which is exactly why we should take it. Since the path is in full view, a guard detail is unnecessary. The eastern-most path is probably quite heavily guarded, probably with traps as well as soldiers. If we take the eastern path, we'll run the risk of being injured, and then having to fight a fully aware group of Goblins who will have had ample time to set up an ambush. If we approach from the west, we deny them that time. They'll see us coming, but they won't have time to set up a proper ambush. Our first priority is removing the minions and Commanders. That way, we'll be able to wipe out Mawlocke without getting shanked in the back. I don't know about the rest of you, but I hate fighting minions and Bosses at the same time.” Sora takes out a stick of chalk, and starts drawing out a tactical diagram of the canyon below, noting the positions of enemies he knows about, and marking out placements where he wants his companions to go. He briefs them on the plan as he sketches.

“Yui, Sinon, and Cassiopeia: I want you three to hang back for this battle, for the first part at least. You'll have two objectives: protect the girl, and eliminate any and all archers and mages who may be hiding down there. We absolutely cannot let that girl die, so if you see a Goblin try to attack her, you tear that piece of crap apart. Prioritise her safety above the rest of us. While this is going on, the rest of us will be clearing out the minions and Commanders, while Asuna focuses on healing us. Now, for the Boss Fight itself, that's where things get tricky. We... hang on. I'm getting a little ahead of myself.” Sora looks up at the others.

“Well, Yui and Sinon are alright. I don't plan on having either of you on the frontlines. You'd be better off ranging from the rear, where you can also monitor the battle objectively. The rest of you will be fighting Mawlocke, but for this to go as smoothly as possible, I need to get a clear sense of your reflexes. Normally, I'd determine that with a duel, but we don't have the time for that. I also don't want to risk any of us getting hurt. So we need another reflex test. It's a bit of a classic, but we'll go with the Sync Test. When I say 'Mark', you all respond with 'Sync'. The ones who react fastest will be on the frontline with me. Ready?” The others nod, and await the signals. Time slows down as they wait for Sora.

“Mark!”

“Sync!”

“Mark!”

“Sync!”

“Mark, mark!”

“Sync, sync!” Silence stretches out for a few seconds, and some of the group begin to let their guards down. Prematurely.

“Mark!”

“Sync!” Sora smiles at this. The whole test took no more than ten seconds, but he learned a lot in that short time.

“Alright, now that I've got an idea of your reflexes, I can carry on. Leafa, Agil, and Cassiopeia: you three had the best reflexes, so you'll be joining me to form First Wave. Kirito, Asuna and Klein; you three will make up Second Wave. As I said earlier, Yui and Sinon will be ranging. First Wave will start the battle. We'll conduct a Four-Point Flank, hitting Mawlocke from all sides. Flanking in this game gives players a small attack bonus. Not much, but every little bonus helps us out. When I call 'Switch!', First Wave is to split off to the sides and fall back. Second Wave will then rush up the middle and adopt a Three-Point Surround. It doesn't count as a flank, but you'll receive a small defence bonus in that arrangement. When I call 'Switch!' again, Second Wave is to fork away while First Wave approaches in two separate pincers, re-establishing the Four-Point Flank. We'll keep this going for as long as possible. When Mawlocke's health bar turns red, his attack patterns will almost certainly change. When that happens, I want Leafa and Cassiopeia to fall back to Second Wave, while I analyse the situation. The most likely scenario is that Cassiopeia will need to join Yui and Sinon in ranging Mawlocke, while Asuna also falls back to focus on healing. The rest of us will merge into one single Wave. We'll attack in a Four-Point Rotating Surround. Similar to the Four-Point Flank, and with the same attack bonus, but we'll be in constant rotation around Mawlocke, so it also counts as a surround, granting us a defence bonus as well. If this is the case, I will announce 'Plan A.' If it won't work, if Mawlocke's changed attack pattern will prevent that, I'll call out 'Plan B.' In that case, everyone needs to fall back and go on the defensive while I figure out a new plan of action. I'd do that now, but there's too many variables to account for. I need to _see_ the change in attack patterns to know how to react to them _properly_. Any plans I make now could get one or more of us killed. I'm not doing that, so we'll form a plan on the fly. Any objections?” Everyone shakes their heads. With that, Sora nods.

“Good. Then let's get moving. We've got a King to kill.” He rises into a crouch, remaining hidden behind the boulder, and the others do likewise. They follow Sora closely, staying out of sight, until they pass the canyon completely. Now out of view from its inhabitants, Sora and the others stand and walk normally, heading towards the western entrance. The path slopes downwards, and the air becomes cooler as they descend. As they reach a bend, Sora stops everyone again.

“Once we round this corner, the fighting will begin. Don't forget Asuna that you're on Healing duty for Phase One of this operation. I know you need to train your Rapier skills, but at this stage of the battle, doing so would be dangerous. It only takes a single spell from a hidden Mage to destroy this plan. We all need you to stop that from happening. This could be a dicey battle no matter how things play out, but I have confidence in everyone's abilities. Just don't let your guard down, and don't get cocky. Don't assume that all the minions are dead; run a Perception Scan. Even then, keep your guard up until I say otherwise. 90% of all Quest Deaths originate from players letting their guard down too soon. Alright, ready your weapons, line up your spells, and stick to the plan. I want to end this Quest and get back to town as much as the rest of you.” Sora sheaths the Sheep-biter and draws out an axe, keeping Death Viper in his left hand. He spins around the corner before hurling the hatchet, barely taking the time to aim. He breaks into a sprint, drawing the Sheep-biter again on the move, and the others charge after him. The hatchet hits a Goblin in the collarbone, the force knocking him off his feet, before an arrow pierces his throat. Kirito, Klein and Suguha pick up the pace to try and keep up with Sora, who explodes into the canyon, launching straight into battle with a Bugbear Commander who wields a Claymore. Even though the Goblins were well aware of the imminent attack; the speed and ferocity of the assault, coupled with the skill of the players, catches the Goblins by surprise. Three soldiers fall dead without being able to even take a swing at their attackers. Sinon leaps over a rotting tree stump, firing two arrows in mid-air at a small group of Goblin Archers, with Yui firing spells at the same group. Sinon lands, rolls, and puts another arrow through the left eye of a Goblin Archer, all in the same fluid movement. A blast of fire erupts in a shallow crevice, evicting two Goblin Mages from it as Cassandra focuses her attention on them. Sora slays his Bugbear Commander with a sixteen-hit combo of spinning diagonal slashes, and immediately rushes to engage the Halberd-wielding Commander and the Flamberge-wielding Commander simultaneously, while Klein and Agil work together to fight against the remaining Claymore-wielding Commander. Half a dozen Goblin Soldiers rush Kirito and Suguha, preventing them from assisting Sora. No-one is able to get close enough to help him out. As he parries the Halberd, Sinon fires a split-shot, wounding both Bugbears. Sora slashes them both with a single swing of Death Viper, and Poison icons appear next to their health bars. Doing so leaves him momentarily vulnerable, and the Flamberge Commander slashes Sora's right side twice, dropping his health into the yellow. Asuna heals him, as well as Kirito and Suguha; the three players being the ones taking the most damage. Yui flies over to help Cassandra deal with three separate groups of Mages who try to attack from behind rocks and in fissures, while Sinon resumes an archery battle with four Crossbow users. Agil parries the Bugbear's Claymore with his shield, allowing Klein to land the finishing blow. As the Commander falls dead, Kirito and Suguha finish laying waste to the soldiers, fighting back-to-back. The four of them turn to watch Sora fighting the last two Bugbears, and see the Flame-bladed swords shatter the Sheep-biter. Sora switches the Death Viper to his Main Hand and charges both Commanders, executing an eighteen-hit slashing combo and a twelve-hit thrusting combo respectively to kill the Flamberge Commander first, then the Halberd Commander. A chorus of explosions marks the end of Yui and Cassandra's battle against the Mages, while Sinon executes the last two Goblin Archers. Only Mawlocke remains, looking furious. Once Asuna finishes healing the group, she moves up to join Kirito and Klein, drawing her Rapier. Suguha, Agil and Cassandra move forward to stand with Sora, while Yui hovers by Sinon's shoulder as she mounts a rocky outcropping, getting a clear view of the battlefield. Mawlocke lets out a growling sigh as he begins moving. Only then does the group realise that he was seated. The Goblin King stands, almost three metres tall, and bulging with muscle and flab in equal measure. The ground shakes under his footsteps, until he stops, standing just outside of his alcove, the girl tied to an altar two metres behind him now. Mawlocke growls again, a deep rumbling like an avalanche.

“Cockroaches. Vermin. Scum. You stand on Holy Ground. You defile Holy Ground. This is unforgivable. You will be cleansed from this world. You will be erased. I will not allow you to taint this Sacred Place any longer with your disgusting fragile bodies. Your victories up to now are meaningless. I am Mawlocke; King of the Goblins. Werewolves, Vampires, Giants. Even Dragons know to fear my name. You will learn that fear too, when I pull your heads from your bodies and gut you like fish. There will be no Hero's Burial for you. No honour. You will be a feast for the rats and the flies, and nothing more. You have two choices: Die, or be killed. Make your decision.” Sora adopts an aggressive stance, holding Death Viper above his shoulder.

“Stick to the plan people. Don't listen to anything this meat sack has to say. Don't let his feeble threats shake your nerve. Follow my lead and remember what I've told you. This King of Nothing will be dead in no time. Trust me. His will be the only death today.” Mawlocke laughs maliciously, the sound being akin to thunderous wheezing. He draws a pair of thick, heavy Scimitars.

“Bold words coming from such a scrawny maggot. I look forward to killing _you_ in particular. After I rip off your head, perhaps I'll skin you, gut you, and roast you on a spit. With the right seasoning, you might make for a palatable meal. More so than that Werewolf, or the Bear Man. Both of those parasites are too furry to be worth eating. Perhaps I would be better to wipe my arse with their corpses. As for the blood-sucker; one leech deserves another. My pet will drink you alive, slowly, for the next ten years. Don't worry, it will only hurt a lot. Enough to drive you out of your puny mind. Pests, all of you. Filthy and feeble. Belligerent scum, nothing more. You were so foolish to think that you could simply walk in here, but you are even more foolish to trust in that Crimson Devil. He is a Master of Lies. No good can ever come from associating with the Hellborne. You will all die by his hand, if _I_ let you live that is. He will betray you all. It's in his nature, you ignorant-” An arrow sinks deep into Mawlocke's left shoulder, silencing him. Sinon fires another arrow, her expression furious. _Lies! I know these are lies! I know he's just doing as he's programmed to, but it still pisses me off to hear someone bad-mouth Sora like that. I'll silence this peace of crap myself if I have to!_ The First Wave charges forwards as Sinon's second arrow pierces Mawlocke's left thigh. They flank him on four sides, slashing and thrusting furiously, with Sora attacking Mawlocke head on. The assault lasts for thirty seconds before Mawlocke swings twice, Sora blocking both hits.

“Switch!” He jumps back and retreats to the right hand side with Suguha, Agil and Cassandra falling back on the left side, while the Second Wave rushes forwards. While they hack and slash at Mawlocke, Sora observes the battle's progression, watching as Sinon's arrows and Yui's spells coordinate perfectly to interfere with Mawlocke's ability to defend. After about thirty seconds, Sora senses Mawlocke's imminent attack.

“Switch!” The Second Wave splits off, just in time to avoid a spinning attack. As they fall back and First Wave rushes in again, Sora prepares a Sword Skill. As Cassandra springs up behind Mawlocke, slashing his spine; Sora activates the Sword Skill, and unleashes a nineteen-hit combo. Black flames erupt from each slash, charring Mawlocke's flesh, and a Poison icon appears next to his health bars as Sora scores a critical hit. He is only just able to parry Mawlocke's counter-attack.

“Switch!” The battle drags out for several minutes, following the same pattern. Each Wave gets roughly thirty seconds to assault Mawlocke before having to switch out. The players make the most of the short time they have, landing precision blows, but the constant need to rotate Waves slows the progression of the battle. After more than ten minutes of battle, First Wave switches in again. All four players strike Mawlocke at the same time, and his health bar turns red. _This is it. The final stretch_.

“Fall back!” Cassandra and Suguha break free easily, but as he retreats, Agil gets hit with a dark yellow dart. His speed drops to almost nothing, making it look as though he's running in slow motion. Sora looks shocked by this. _Was that a Seldua Dart? Shit! Agil's in serious trouble! He's completely defenceless until the poison wears off!_ Mawlocke rushes forwards, launching into a whirling attack like some kind of giant spinning top, aiming for Agil. Sora propels himself like a Railgun, activating a Sword Skill on the fly to parry Mawlocke's attack. He blocks the first sword well, but Mawlocke's momentum doesn't slow, and the attack doesn't end. He keeps on swinging, slashing at Sora endlessly with those heavy Scimitars. Sora does his best to parry the blows, but the difference in their strength stats is noticeably extensive. He can't block the attacks, only reduce the force that they hit him with. Even so, his health bar plummets fast. Even with Yui and Asuna working in tandem to heal him, Sora's health falls away just as quickly as it's restored. Sinon and Cassandra bombard the Goblin King with ranged attacks, trying to distract him and put an end to the cyclonic attack. One of Sinon's arrows pierces Mawlocke's right knee, throwing him off balance and ending his relentless assault. Sora grabs Agil and the pair vanish on the spot, before reappearing amidst the main group. Sora plucks the dart from Agil's neck.

“Asuna: Agil's been poisoned with a Seldua Dart. You need to cure that poison before you can heal him.” He turns to the others.

“I need you to buy me some time. Plan A's a no go. It won't work on Mawlocke. I need time to devise a new strategy based on Mawlocke's new attack patterns. See if you can get me sixty seconds. I shouldn't need more than that.” As Sinon just about hears a faint whistling, Sora leaps up before her, deflecting another dark yellow dart with the side of Death Viper.

“Watch out for those Seldua Darts. If you get hit, you're fucked. The poison can't be cured until the dart is removed, and I can't be everywhere at once to protect you all. Don't give him an opening to use them on you.” The players nod and take up defensive positions around Mawlocke, only repelling his attacks when they don't have the time to evade. Mawlocke moves with frightening speed for someone so large, charging forwards like a Cheetah. His attacks seem to be much stronger as well; he is able to shatter boulders and decimate trees with a single hit. As Mawlocke charges Agil, forcing him to dodge left, Sora notices something strange. _Mawlocke's movements are fast, but they're strangely linear. He doesn't turn or jink, he just bulldozes in a straight line. He can't seem to slow down efficiently either. His momentum carries him on further than necessary. Oh! I see now! He's stampeding. That's a common tactic in games. High attack strength, not all that easy to evade, but it exposes a big vulnerability, especially if the charger were to crash. This is it. The Plan B that I've been looking for._ Mawlocke charges Sora at close range, barely giving the Hellborne time to dive right. As he does so, he sees a gap in the Goblin King's armour, and the charred wound that is exposed as a result. _Bingo!_ Sora rolls upright, standing amidst Kirito, Asuna, Sinon and Yui.

“Mawlocke has a weak spot. On his right side, ten centimetres above the hip, there's a gap in his armour. It's about the size of a five-hundred Yen coin. One of the wounds I inflicted early on is open to the air. If we focus our attacks on that weak spot, we can widen the gap and make it easier to kill him. That burn must sting like a bitch as well. A solid punch might make Mawlocke flinch as well, if we need him to. Hitting the chink in the armour will take a bit of work though. Mawlocke's stampeding at the moment. If we can get him to crash into a boulder or something, we can pile on the pain for a couple of seconds before he retaliates. It'll be dicey, and we'll need to react quickly, but this is our best course of action. Any weakness should be exploited, and right now we have one available to us.” The four nod, and Asuna switches back to her Rapier.

“Understood. We'll harass Mawlocke, get him to aggro on us and charge. It'll take a few runs I think, but we can do it. This battle's almost over now.” Sora nods, and runs at Mawlocke with Kirito and Asuna, while Yui and Sinon move off to get a better angle at the Goblin King. Sora spends a lot of time in front of Mawlocke, duelling with him head on, playing on the Goblin King's apparent hatred for him. It takes a while to get Mawlocke to charge, and he misses slamming into anything. Kirito jumps in straight away, harassing the King. Again Mawlocke charges, this time straight into Sora, who barely blocks the attack, the force pushing him back three metres despite him digging his heels into the ground. Sora recovers immediately to assail Mawlocke once more, darting from side to side in order to make himself hard to defend against. The moment he takes the time to prepare a Sword Skill, Mawlocke charges. Sora aborts the Sword Skill and dives aside, and Mawlocke slams into an old Oak tree. A flaming arrow pierces deep into his right side, followed almost immediately by a Thunder-burst Spell. Mawlocke howls in pain and fury. Asuna jumps in and thrusts her Rapier into the gap, stabbing Mawlocke three times before he retaliates. The Goblin King slashes furiously and charges randomly, making it impossible to get a clear shot at him. Klein, Agil and Suguha join the others, noticing how they focus all of their attacks just above Mawlocke's right hip. Suguha slashes the exposed area twice, stripping away some of the armour, and Klein strikes as well, taking a chunk out of Mawlocke's health with a four-hit combo. As Agil attacks, Mawlocke retaliates. He parries Agil's sword with one attack, knocks the shield aside with another, and aims a third attack for Agil's exposed throat. Sora drops in again to protect Agil, parrying the Scimitar. He realises too late that this was Mawlocke's plan, and the fourth attack hits him hard, shredding his cloak. Mawlocke sweeps the ground with his left foot, tripping Sora and sending the Death Viper flying. The moment Sora hits the floor, Mawlocke stamps on his chest, dropping his health into the red and pinning him to the ground. He has no defence whatsoever against the Scimitars thrust at his throat. Time slows down, and Sora has an eternity to watch the swords approaching. Images flash before his eyes, memories of the past. Infinite battles, countless arguments, and an ever increasing mountain of bodies. _This is it? This is what my life has been? It's just been a continuous stream of fighting. That's all I do. Fight and kill. What have I contributed to this world other than death? Nothing. Nothing of any value. My strength as Virtual Demon is just an illusion. Did I seriously believe I could beat this game like I could any other? How retarded, and how naïve. My life was wasted. I squandered it on a selfish quest. I made others suffer as I sought the answer to one question: How did she die? I even had the chance to ask Yui, but I was too afraid to. Does it even matter any more? The truth won't bring my sister back. I devoted my life to becoming the best gamer in the world, hoping that I could find that answer. I thought that if I became good enough,_ he _would appear before me. Akihiko Kayaba. The man responsible for my sister's death. What kind of logic is that? Surely he knows why I seek him, so he won't show himself to me. All of this was for nothing, and now it's about to end. Good. I wasted my life, so let it end before I get anyone else killed. Too many died because of me. I die, and they live. Fair trade_. As Sora accepts the inevitable, ready to meet his fate, a third Scimitar swings into view, stopping Mawlocke's swords in mid-air with a blinding explosion of silver light. Sinon stands over Sora, her face a mask of fury so overwhelming that even Mawlocke looks fearful. A volley of Magic Missiles strike him in the face, and then Sinon attacks. With a single vicious swing, she severs both of Mawlocke's arms, slicing through his elbows. Her Scimitar glows silver as she activates a Sword Skill. She strikes with blinding speed, hacking away at Mawlocke with a dozen steel flashes. For a moment, nothing happens. Then, Mawlocke's head falls from his body, in hundreds of tiny chunks. Each piece bounces once before disintegrating, and then Mawlocke's dead body vanishes as well. Sinon drops her Scimitar on the ground, crouching over Sora. Her concerned expression and the shimmer of tears in her eyes evoke mixed feelings in Sora. Regret, remorse, doubt, and confusion. _Sinon? Sinon! I... I... I can't leave you here like this. You're here because of me. This is my fault. I can't let you die because of me. I swore that much. I swore that if no-one else, I would save you, Sinon. Then my fight... it isn't over. Get up Sora Seiun. You will not die until Sinon is free from this Hell_. Sora blinks slowly, rolling his eyes from side to side. His arms feel numb, and are slow to respond to him. As he looks at Sinon again, he can see her lips move, but he can't make out what she is saying. His hearing is almost gone, the world deathly silent. Sinon shakes him, as if trying to rouse him from a deep slumber. As his fingers and toes begin to tingle, sound gradually returns to the world. Sinon's voice is the first thing he can hear, filled with worry.

“-la! -ula! -up! Nebula... -get up!” Sora groans, struggling to move. White light shimmers around him, and his health bar starts to refill. Sound returns much faster now, bringing his strength with it.

“Nebula! Are you alright? Can you get up?” Sora nods weakly. As he rolls over and pushes himself onto his elbows, a wave of nausea washes over him. The world spins drunkenly, only making the nausea worse. Sinon stays crouched beside him, a hand on his shoulders.

“Are you ok? Are you able to talk?” Sora takes a few deep breaths to try and settle his stomach.

“If I throw up here, would my real body throw up too? I only ask because I think I'm going to be sick.” Sinon rubs his back, letting out a small laugh that hints at her relief.

“That's a good question. Let's not find out the answer though. You've still got water from the pool, right? It might help you out.” Sora pushes himself up higher, just managing to sit slouched, legs crossed. He takes the waterskin from his inventory and sips at the water. The first few sips make no difference, but after a few minutes his stomach stops churning, and the world stops spinning. The complete restoration of his health helps out as well. The whole time, Sinon watches him like a hawk, oblivious to everyone around her.

“Any better?” Sora nods.

“Yeah, I think so. It'll take a while to recover fully, but I'm alright for now. I'm lucky to be in this condition though. It was stupid of me. I wasn't thinking, as usual. Mawlocke had this intense hatred of Hellbornes, so I should have known he'd try to bait me. Instead, I rushed in recklessly, got myself disarmed, pulverised, and almost killed. A rookie mistake like that almost cost me my life. I'm too stupid for words. If I had even half a brain cell, I would have anticipated the trap, and you wouldn't have had to bail me out. I don't know what's worse: the fact that I'm such an idiot, the fact that I'm so weak, or the fact that I'm so naïve. All three are causing this group serious problems, and they'll continue to do so. At this rate, I'm going to get all of us killed.” Sinon flicks Sora's forehead.

“Shut the fuck up. Don't ever talk like that again. So I bailed you out? So what? I don't care. I'd rather have to save your life a thousand times a day than hear you talk like that. Stop being so harsh on yourself, so critical of your actions. You couldn't have anticipated all of Mawlocke's skills, his strengths, or anything else. You can't expect to be able to fully predict his attack patterns and movements. I doubt even the ones who programmed Mawlocke are capable of that. It's wrong for you to think you can do it. We're supposed to be a team. We watch out for each other, and we cover each other's weaknesses by combining our different strengths. That's what teams do. I know you're used to playing solo, but you're not alone anymore. It's alright to have weaknesses, as long as you actually try to compensate for them. You know where you need to improve, so improve. Beating yourself up isn't the answer, so stop doing it. Okay?” Sora averts his eyes, feeling guilty. He has no counterargument to make either.

“Okay. I'll try. That was some impressive swordsmanship by the way. You got the Boss Kill too, and the Last Attack Bonus, using a Scimitar at that. I didn't even know that you had a sword, let alone that you'd be so skilled with it. You stopped Mawlocke's blades dead. Those were heavy swords as well, and he was brutally strong.” Sinon shrugs.

“You're not the only one with a knack for countering. Even so, it took a Sword Skill to stop him, and another to kill him. He was one Hell of a tough boss. What level was he? I didn't see, but it must have been high.” Sora nods.

“Mawlocke was a Level 10 Boss.” Sinon recoils in shock.

“Seriously? A Level 10 Boss on a Level 5 Quest? How in the world is a party of Level 5s supposed to defeat a Boss like him? We struggled as it is, even though you're a Level 9 Sword Mage, with the Death Viper as well. If the bosses are hard now, what the Hell are they going to be like later on?” Sora shrugs.

“Who knows? We'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it. I guess Mawlocke was supposed to have been defeated by a guild with more rangers in it. Or, maybe there was some kind of item or event we missed. Maybe players are meant to ambush him when he heads to the lake to bathe, or just afterwards. Maybe they're supposed to sneak in here _while_ he's bathing and fight him later on. Maybe they're not even meant to fight him. There's all kinds of possibilities. It'll probably turn out that we took the hardest path through this quest. I know this game is meant to be hard, but I doubt that QZR Studios meant it to be _that_ hard. Well, whatever the reason, it's done now. All that's left is to free the girl.” Sinon nods and stands, helping Sora to stand as well. Agil approaches, and hands Sora the Death Viper.

“Here, you dropped this.” Sora takes the sword with a nod.

“Thanks. This sword has made a big difference so far, and it'll continue to do so for a while yet. I'd hate to lose it so easily.” Agil nods as well.

“It's the least I can do. You saved my life twice in that battle, putting your own in danger. There's not many who'd be so quick to risk their life for another, so you have my gratitude, and my respect.” Sora looks a little awkward.

“I don't really deserve either one, but something tells me you'll insist upon it. So, thank you.” Agil says nothing. Together, the group enters the alcove, to where the girl lay bound to a black altar. Sora unties the ropes that hold her in place, while Asuna heals her and counteracts the sedative. The girl wakes up, and sits up, looking at the group almost fearfully. Sora speaks to her calmly.

“It's alright, we're not here to hurt you. The Goblins are gone, and Mawlocke is dead. You're safe now. We're here to take you home. My name is Nebula. What's yours?” The girl hesitates a moment.

“Lily. My name is Lily. Lily Wood. Are the Goblins really gone? Did you kill them all? They deserve to die. They took me from my home, and they killed my brother; Evan. Goblins are pure evil. They told me everything they were planning to do to me. They said such horrible things, and they scared me. Then they gave me funny tasting water that made me fall asleep. Monsters like those shouldn't exist in this world.” A grating sound fills the air. A wall at the back of the alcove slides upwards into the roof, exposing a hidden tunnel. The girl leaps from the altar and hides behind Sinon, who looks a little startled.

“What's wrong Lily?” She points to the tunnel.

“That's where the Goblins brought me in from. The tunnel goes all the way through the mountains, and comes out by the Cave of Origins. Are there more of them? More Goblins? Are they coming for me?” Sora smiles reassuringly, lowering himself to Lily's eye level.

“Don't worry Miss Wood. If there are more Goblins, my friends and I will kill them. The woman you're holding onto is Sinon. She was the one who killed Mawlocke. She's also the best Archer in the whole world. You have my word that no more Goblins will come for you. We won't let them hurt you.” Lily looks awestruck, while Sinon looks a little embarrassed.

“I doubt I'm the _best_ Archer in the whole world. I'm not _that_ good really.” Sora stands with a mischievous smile.

“If you can name a better Archer, I'll concede defeat. Come on, let's go. I want to get through this tunnel as quickly as possible, and return to civilization. I think we've all spent enough time in caves for one day, don't you?” Sinon sighs in resignation.

“Right, right.” The group arranges itself into formation as they enter the tunnel. Sinon and Agil walk at the front with Sora, Kirito and Asuna follow behind with Yui, while Klein and Suguha bring up the rear with Cassandra. Lily sticks close to Sinon and Sora, walking between the two. The tunnel is long and dimly lit, but it's a straight shot, without any inclines, depressions, or anywhere to hide either. Even so, Sora keeps his guard up, searching around for traps or hidden passageways. Sinon maintains her vigil over Sora, focusing more on him than on where she is going. _I can't believe how close I came to losing him. If I had hesitated for even a second, he would have been killed. I didn't even know for sure that I would save him, but I had to try. There were no alternatives. My fear of losing him, and my anger with Mawlocke, I think both of these combined are the reason Sora is still alive right now. I can't remember a time when I've ever been so angry, and there I was; losing my temper with a bunch of ones and zeros. I'm glad it worked out as it did, but I'm still worried about him. Yet again, he was brought to the brink of death. How many times is that now? Six times? Seven times? It hasn't been a day yet, and he's come so close to dying so many times. I don't understand how he can go back to being his usual mischievous self. Not after everything we've been through. Is it possible that this is an act? That would make more sense. He's already expressed his wish to appear strong, for everyone here. So then, he's pretending to be fine so that no-one can see just how fearful he really is. I'm sure that deep down, Sora is terrified. He's afraid of failing everyone. Not just everyone in the party, but everyone in the game. He's determined to get everyone out of here, but coming so close to death so frequently must have damaged his confidence. Even so, he won't give up, and he won't let on just how fearful he is. He's going to keep on fighting, no matter what, even though he's afraid. So will I. I vowed to support Sora, to help him out as much as I can, whenever I can. I have to do everything in my power to make sure he keeps on living. I can't lose Sora. I won't. He means too much to me. More than that, and more than my need for him to support me, is that he might be able to help me find what it is that I'm missing from my life. I know that there_ is _something missing, but I don't know what. Whenever I'm with Sora, I feel like I'm close to finding out what it is. Maybe if I spend enough time with him, and get close enough to him, I might find the answer. Then there's the matter of Sora's loss. He lost someone to Sword Art Online. I know that much. I don't want to simply find out who he lost, I want to help him overcome that loss. I know he hasn't done so already. That loss is a major source of his strength, but it also makes him unstable, and reckless. I want to help him move on, so that he can be happy, truly happy, without having to act_. Sinon becomes so wrapped up in her thoughts that she doesn't notice that the tunnel has ended until the bright sunlight dazzles her. She shields her eyes, and looks around. About ten metres away, two people; a man and a woman, search frantically around the edge of the forest. Lily sees the adults as well, and gasps.

“Mommy! Daddy!” The man and woman look over at Lily, and run towards her as she runs to them. Sora follows, walking slowly with the others. Lily is embraced by the two adults, who appear overjoyed and relieved to see the girl. The man looks up at Sora and the others as they approach.

“My name is Aaron Wood. Are you the ones who rescued our daughter?” Sora nods.

“We are. We found her being held captive by King Mawlocke and his minions. They've all been killed, and your daughter freed.” Aaron sheds tears of joy.

“Thank you, so much. We've been worried about Lily for hours. A Goblin Mage broke into our house at dawn. My wife and I were drugged. When we came too, we found that our son Evan had been killed, and Lily was missing. We've been searching everywhere for her for hours on end. We didn't want to accept that she was... but now she's back! You have our eternal gratitude, friend.” The woman stands, and walks up to Sinon. She presents the girl with a bow, which Sinon accepts graciously.

“Thank you for saving our precious Lily. We are forever in your debt.” Sinon bows slightly.

“I'm just glad that we were able to save her. With Mawlocke being dead now, I think it's unlikely that Goblins will ever trouble you again.” The mother bows. The three NPCs turn and leave. Once they have disappeared from sight, a Quest Completion notice appears. Sora looks at his rewards list with interest. _Not bad at all. Three Character Levels, seven Sword Levels, three Throwing Levels, two Unarmed Levels, fourteen thousand gold coins and two Rare Items. Let's see; an Amulet of Protection +8, and a Keen Icy-burst Adamantine Hand-axe +3. Nice. Oh hang on, there's more. I earned the “All in not-so Good Spirits” Award, the“This Spells Trouble” Award, the “Quit Bugbearing Me” Award, and the “Fog of Cor Blimey!” Award. I gained a Unique Sword Skill, a pair of Tier One Spell-breaker Gloves, a Bracelet of Toxicity +2, and Goggles of Perfect Sight respectively. That's even more impressive than I was expecting._ Sora looks over at Yui, who seems elated.

“I got a new wand! It's a Masterwork Rune-scribed Wand x3! It's so cool!” Sora smiles at this, before walking over to Sinon, who stares at her rewards list with a look of confusion and incredulity. He lets out a low whistle as he sees the extensive list.

“Wow! So it's pretty clear who hit the jackpot here then. Three Character Levels, eight Archery Levels, a Sword Level and fifty thousand gold coins. A good few awards there. The “Twin-kill Toes” Award, the “Veterinarian” Award, the “Indestructible Bow Master of War” Award _and_ the “William Spell” Award. Those alone earned you Fey Silk Gloves, a Bracelet of Accuracy +5, six Gold Flags, and one hundred Phoenix Feather Arrows. Then there's the Quest rewards themselves. Four Rare Items and a Super Rare. Elven Adamantine Half-Plate Feather Fall Boots of Speed +7. Now there's a mouthful, but incredibly useful. A Ring of Strength x4; that's pretty epic. A Diadem of Acuity +10; one of the best items for an Archer to have really, but not as awesome as your new bow. A Keen Masterwork Runewood Shadow-burst Longbow of Defence +9. That's another mouthful, but also one of the best bows you can get really. The Super Rare is-” Sora stops dead at this, his jaw dropping.

“Holy fucking shit! You got an Astral Cloak? For real? I wasn't expecting to see something like that this side of the Ruins of Astris, let alone before we've even started on the Path of Destiny! You must be Lady Luck. No-one else could get something so rare and valuable this early on.” Sinon raises an eyebrow.

“Is it really that special? My Analysis Skill isn't high enough to see what it does.” Sora collects himself, before relaying what he knows in an awestruck voice.

“The Astral Cloak is one of the top ten armour items in DCO, and one of the rarest items available. For example, you're seven hundred _thousand_ times more likely to find the Death Viper than this Cloak. It has a phenomenal armour rating, exceptional resistance to fire, ice, poison, shadow, water, wind, earth and thunder type attacks. It is immune to light attacks, abyssal attacks, and divine attacks. On top of this, it can render the wearer invisible for up to three hours, it greatly enhances all magical attacks, it provides a sizeable enhancement to physical attacks of the light, shadow, divine, abyssal and thunder elements, it provides a massive boost to your Reflex and Agility, and as if that wasn't enough; you can also conceal one additional player within the Cloak, which is handy for stealth quests. As amazing as all of this sounds, and it really is amazing, the Astral Cloak _does_ still have weaknesses. The Cloak provides no resistance or immunity against Psionic attacks, and Vorpal Weapons will still cut through it as easily as they cut through everything else. Bear that in mind before you go thinking that this Cloak will make you invincible. It won't, but it _will_ make you effectively indestructible to most enemies we encounter at this stage of the game. Later on, things will get tricky. There are Psionic Monsters inside Mount Contradiction, Skye Castle, the Ruins of Astris, and the Astral Sea. Vorpal Weapons shouldn't show up yet, but you can never be too sure.” Sinon looks incredulous.

“Is that so? I feel like I shouldn't wear this. Wouldn't it be better suited for you?” Sora answers her sharply.

“Put that cloak on Sinon. Now!” He snorts with laughter unexpectedly.

“Wow, I seem to have a track record for telling girls to put clothes _on_ , not to take them _off_. I can think of many guys who'd be disappointed in me for that. I'm sure Persia would be as well. Nevertheless, this is _your_ reward, Sinon. You worked hard to earn that cloak. You deserve it. Knowing that you're wearing an Astral Cloak will put me more at ease as well. It'll be a while before we encounter any monsters capable of circumventing that cloak's defences. Unless there's a Red Player running around with Psionic abilities, I don't see you getting hurt easily any time soon. Don't worry about me. The armour I had was nothing special really. I'm sure I'll acquire better armour soon enough. I'd much rather _you_ kept the cloak. The less I have to worry about you, the more capable I am at fighting and thinking. Besides, you're the leader of BMR. The guild leader should _always_ be the hardest to kill.” Sinon hesitates a moment. _It'll put him at ease? He won't worry about me so much as long as I wear the Astral Cloak. If he's able to fight without anxiety, he won't have anything hampering his abilities. So then, it's not only in_ my _best interests to wear this, but_ his _best interests as well. I don't want to do anything that will complicate matters. So, I'll do it. I'll do whatever is necessary to help Sora and put him at ease in this nightmare_. Sinon equips the Astral Cloak, and every other item she was rewarded with. She instantly feels greatly more confident under the protection of her armour, with a powerful new bow in her hands as well. A sense of awe pervades as well, as she tries to wrap her head around the good fortune she had in receiving such items. Sora nods approvingly.

“That's more like it. You look ready to slay a God. Since our ultimate destination is the Tower of the Gods, that couldn't be a more appropriate look for you to have. Alright then, now that everything is in order, we should return to Kraler. It would be wise to make sure we're properly stocked on potions and antidotes and the like, and I'd like to see if I can get my hands on a suitable weapon for Dual-wielding. The Hand-axe is alright, but I don't like dual-wielding with that kind of weapon. I prefer small swords or daggers.” Sinon nods, and the pair regroup with the others, before they all head back towards town. As they approach the Teleport Ring, Sora suddenly rushes forwards three steps and snaps his head forwards. Instead of a fireball, Sora unleashes a jet of flames from his jaws, targeting the forest. Several trees burst into flames, and shocked cries ring out. The crashing in the undergrowth suggests that a number of people are fleeing from the flames. Sora growls.

“Run while you can Red Players, but next time I'll capture you.” Sinon, Agil and Yui move close to Sora, making sure that no-one attacks him.

“So there _were_ Red Players stalking us after all. That's going to be a problem. They've seen all the new items we have. If any of them had a high enough Analysis Skill, they'll know I'm wearing an Astral Cloak. There's no way they'd pass up an opportunity to steal that.” Sora nods slowly.

“That's true. It also works to our advantage though. They're inevitably going to try again. They want what we rightfully earned. When they do, we'll capture them and send them to jail. If they can be forced to retreat this easily, then they don't pose much of a threat to us, all in all. Still, don't let your guard down. That's usually when a Red Player will strike.” Sora walks forwards, into the Teleport Ring. The others follow, making sure they all stand within the Ring when Sora speaks.

“Teleport: Kraler.” Blue light envelopes them. When it fades, they find them standing on the very plinth where Sora addressed all of the guild leaders about twelve hours ago. As Sora looks around, he sees a blur of white. It collides with him before he can react to it, knocking him to the ground.

“You're alright! Thank God! I've been so worried!” Sora looks down at the figure wrapping around his chest, hugging him tightly. He sees the white hair, the cat ears, and the longbow on her back. Shock gives way to confusion.

“P-Persia? What's going on? What's wrong? Did something happen? Was it Red Players?” Persia shakes her head against his chest.

“No! It's not that! You nearly died you idiot! Your health dropped into the red more than once. The last time, you were reduced to ten hit points. I nearly broke down. You scared the Hell out of me!” Sora struggles to talk, not just because of the uncomfortably tight hug.

“H-how... How did you know how low my health dropped? We're not in the same guild, and you weren't at the caves, so-” Persia cuts him off.

“The Pendant of the Samaritan! It's a Super Rare Item I got this morning, before our rendezvous. It allows me to view the health status of one other player, as long as they're on my Friend List.” Sora is surprised by this.

“You got an Item like that, and you decided to waste it on me? Wouldn't you have been better off using it on a member of the Night Watch or something?” Persia shakes her head again.

“No! I don't care about _them_! They're just low level idiots who can barely hold a sword. _You're_ the only real friend I've got here. Everyone else is just a business acquaintance at best. The others were supposed to join the game _today_ , after the chaos of the launch. Thanks to Reality Bytes, they didn't get to join in. It's just you here. You're the only one in this world who knows me, the real me, and I'm the only one who knows you. Why _wouldn't_ I use the Pendant on you?” Sora sighs, sensing that there is no point in trying to argue with her, and feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable from the hug. Even so, he pets her comfortingly, scratching her behind the left ear.

“Well, when you put it like that, I guess it makes sense. Still, it wasn't such a good idea. You're a nervous wreck Persia. I don't think there's much I can say to make you feel better. You know my play style, and you know my skill level. You know that I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself if need be. Even so, this won't be the last time my health drops so low. It isn't a good idea for you to keep monitoring my health like that. It's going to go into the red a lot. Even though I don't want that to happen, it's inevitably going to happen. That's the difficulty of this game. I'll be reduced to less than ten hit points at times as well. I could even go as low as a single hit point. If you keep watching my health, you're going to have a nervous breakdown. I want you to trust me, not worry about me.” Persia finally pulls away from Sora, loosening up her grip on him. Her eyes are bloodshot, tears still streaming from them, but she tries to smile anyway.

“I _do_ trust you. Always have, always will. That won't stop me worrying about you though.” Sora rolls his eyes at this. Before he can make any kind of a response, Persia spots the scars on his face, still glowing white, and gasps in shock.

“A-Are those... Spirit Scars? How... h-how?” Sora sighs again.

“My rotten luck, nothing more. A Goblin Mage sacrificed his Magic Orb, using it to try and shield my sword thrust. Obviously, the Orb shattered, and a very pissed off Wretch Spirit was released. It was brutal to fight, and even more so to kill.” Persia looks shocked and saddened in equal measure.

“Then... oh dear God! You spoke its True Name didn't you? I'm so sorry. You had to go through that because of me, because of my failure. My information about the quests was pure shit, and you had to experience one of the worst horrors to exist in VR. This is all my fault.” Sora shakes his head firmly.

“The Hell it was! You had no way of knowing this would happen. None of us did. The post-Beta edits were never announced. Unless you hacked QZR Studios' systems, there was no way you or anyone else could have known what was in store. Don't blame yourself. If you had known that a Spirit would definitely attack and then decided not to warn me, _then_ you could be blamed, but that's not the case. Be sure you warn the other guilds about this though. I'm sure other guilds will attempt those quests. They need to know the risks involved. There's no way they can survive a fight with a Spirit. I'm lucky enough to survive as it is. I'll send you a full debrief later on, with details on a whole host of monsters, items, traps and Quest Data. I need a bit of time to get my head together first though. That quest had a Level 10 Boss in it, and he was a real bastard to kill. He gave me a thorough beating first though. I still feel battered and bruised from all that, especially where he stomped on my chest.” Persia releases her grip on Sora completely, looking concerned. She notices something missing.

“Hey wait a minute: What happened to your Shadow-walker Cloak?” Sora's expression sours.

“Destroyed. You can thank the Goblin King Mawlocke for that, the big ugly prick. The cloak was never designed to take heavy hits. It was a stealth item, designed for sneaking around. It had low durability as a result.” Persia starts navigating her item storage.

“Here, take this. It's not as good as the Shadow-walker, but it's better than nothing. It's got ten times the durability, plus resistance against Poison. Don't even think of objecting. I picked up two in a quest just before midnight. I'm wearing the other one.” Sora looks at the sent item.

“A second generation Cloak of Traversing? I'd say that's better than the Shadow-walker. Sure, it doesn't have the fancy shmancy stuff, but at least it actually counts as armour. Poison resistance will be very handy in the Evergreen Death. Basically everything in that forest is venomous. I'll admit, I'll miss the Fey Step ability, but that's about all really. It's not like I ever used it for stealth. In that respect, proper armour would be more beneficial to me. So, thanks.” Persia smiles at him.

“Any time. It's not often I get to help you out these days, other than with information I mean. This makes a nice change, though I wish the circumstances were better.” Sora nods. Klein raises a question.

“What's Fey Step?” Sora explains in a level voice.

“Fey Step is an ability that can be found on pretty much every piece of armour that is Elven in origin. It's a short range teleportation spell, five metre range, with no need for incantation. It's a handy skill to have, especially since you can also teleport one other person. That's how I got Agil away from Mawlocke after he'd been hit with the Seldua Dart.” Sinon looks intrigued by this. _Ah. So_ that's _how he was able to teleport in the battle against those Lizardmen last night. Now I see. It's too bad he lost the cloak though. Fey Step is a useful skill to have, especially in Sora's hands._ Silence falls over the group as they run out of things to say. After a few moments, Sora breaks the silence.

“So... do you think I can stand up any time soon or what?” Persia cocks her head to one side, confused.

“Huh?” Sora points down. When she follows his indication, Persia realises she's still perched on top of his legs. She jumps off with an embarrassed look, while Sora stands stiffly, brushing the dust from his clothes before equipping the new cloak.

“Sorry. Slipped my mind.” Sora shrugs.

“I'll let you off this time, but don't go making a habit of it.” Persia laughs nervously. Sinon clears her throat before Persia can say anything else.

“Can we get back to business? What's our next move?” Sora goes with the change of topic.

“Marketplace. We need to restock on potions. I'd also like to see if any new weapons have come in.” Persia shakes her head.

“Afraid not. Nothing worthwhile anyway. All the NPCs have sold out of the good stuff. At the moment, they're only restocking the basic stuff. Nothing new will come in unless specific quests are completed, or until someone makes progress on the Path of Destiny. In other words, when someone conquers the Tower of Kraler. The only ones selling anything different are the players, but they still need to get a lot more practice in. They're producing some pretty powerful weapons, but the best durability is fifty hits. It'll be tomorrow evening at the earliest before anyone makes a quest-worthy weapon at this rate.” Sora sighs.

“Crap. Well, we can at least resupply on potions, but I was hoping to get a new small sword or something before hitting the Tower. I guess I'll just have to hold off on dual-wielding for the time being. Alright, we'll stock up on potions, catch up on any news quickly, then head for the Tower.” Sinon cuts in before Persia can speak.

“No.” Sora is caught off guard by the firmness in Sinon's voice.

“I... no?” Sinon folds her arms.

“We're not taking on the Tower today. Jesus Nebula, you've nearly died today. Not just once, or even twice. Five times today you've been on the brink of death. Six if you count the fight against Elric, so there's no way in Hell I'm letting you march straight back into battle after that.” Persia looks shocked by this.

“Wait, you fought against Elric?! Are you insane?!” Sora recoils from the two girls, who seem to radiate an intense aura.

“Alright alright, you've made your point. I'm not sitting around on my arse though. I need to do _something_ with all this spare time you're dropping on me. Sending out all those notes would only take about an hour at the most, so I need to fill the remainder.” Persia snaps her fingers.

“School! That'll do the trick.” Klein looks confused by this.

“What? School? Seriously?” Sora nods.

“That's right. There's a school in this town where players can train up their Build Skills. Not all of them mind, but most of them. Even the Weapon Skills can be trained there. Actually, that might not be such a bad idea. If I train up Blacksmithing and Crafting, I can make new weapons and repair old ones. If I train Apothecary, I can brew potions out in the field. There's a few skills like that which would be worth my while to boost up. I can't get much done at the school though. You can only train up to Level 10, then you stop levelling them up. Still, it's a good start. I can continue boosting those skills in between quests. It wouldn't hurt. Alright, I'll do it. I'll go to school.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 2nd 2030 – 2034 JST**

Sora stands by an anvil, hammering a steel ingot. On the third strike, the ingot suddenly changes shape, turning into a sword. The blade is straight, double-edged, measuring fifty centimetres in length. It glows with a pale blue light. The cruciform hilt is constructed for single hand use, but is unimpressive to look at. Sora examines his creation. _A Keen Fine Icy-burst Short Sword +2. It's not all that bad, really. 25% Critical Hit probability. The base damage score is pretty low for what it is, at just 28-44 hit points. However, the durability is through the roof. Nine hundred and fifty hits. Considering I only learned how to forge a few hours ago, I've come a long way. I've got the art of forging durable swords down, I just can't make them especially strong in addition to that. I'd like to get my hands on some Adamantine Ore, and see what I can make out of that. I'll need to get my Blacksmithing and Crafting Skills higher first though. You need to be a Level 40 Blacksmith to forge with Adamantine, and Level 80 to forge with Aetherite. Unless you're a Dwarf that is. They can forge with those metals at half the level of everyone else. Still, I'm a Level 18 Blacksmith at the moment. That's pretty damn good_. Sora picks up the sword, and gives it a few experimental swings, getting a feel for the weight and the balance. He then walks over to the brick wall and presses a glowing blue circle. A Lizardman spawns in the room, its cursor identifying it as 'Training Dummy #87'. Sora parries two attacks before striking back with four quick slashes. The fourth hit freezes the Lizardman. Sora activates a Sword Skill, unleashing a ten-hit combo on the Lizardman, shattering the ice and the Lizardman along with it. Sora navigates his menus quickly, creating a Runewood Scabbard for the sword, which he then sheaths. A throat clears off to the right. Sora turns to see Sinon standing in the doorway.

“I figured I'd find you here. Come on, dinner's almost ready.” Sora smiles.

“Good timing. I just finished forging for the day, using up the last of my steel. Now that I think about it, I could use the break as well: I'm exhausted. I never noticed until now.” Sinon smiles as she walks beside Sora.

“That doesn't surprise me. You tend to have something of a one-track mind. Once you become focused on something, it's very hard to distract you from whatever you're doing.” Sora nods.

“That's quite true. Concentration's never been something I've ever had problems with. I can stay focused in pretty much any situation. It tends to take something quite major to break my concentration, and when that happens I usually end up disorientated. Some people have learned to let me drift out of focus naturally, but Persia hasn't quite gotten the hang of that yet. That being said, I sometimes wonder if it's deliberate. She tends to enjoy breaking my train of thought in a rather perverted manner, much to my annoyance.” Sinon scowls a little at this.

“Yes, that sounds about right for Persia. She was all over you when we came back to town. It was only when the Kraler Guard dragged her off to the barracks that she stopped crowding around you.” Sora raises an eyebrow.

“Is that jealousy I'm detecting?” Sinon becomes flustered, caught off guard by the question.

“I-I... I just don't understand what her deal is!” Sora observes Sinon for a moment. _Did I hit the nail on the head there? I was just joking around, but that response... No, I think that's just my wishful thinking. She doesn't know me. There's no way she has feelings for me. I just surprised her with the question is all_. Sora shrugs.

“Persia's more complex than she appears, and most of her complexity stems from her constant acting. Everything about Persia, or rather; everything about Persia _now_ , it all goes back to Dragon's Reign Online. The seventeen days we spent trapped in there changed her forever. She's not one for long haul dives. Never has been. Prior to that game, her longest dive was four hours. She didn't handle it well. At all. She nearly lost her grip on reality, on sanity, and she practically broke down. I didn't know her that well at the time, I knew her through Vince only, really. Even so, I couldn't stand by and watch her fall apart. I devoted as much time as I could to holding her together, trying to keep her spirits up and keep her sanity intact. We ended up learning a lot about each other that way. Once I was sure she was going to pull through, I returned my focus to Gra'alkur. Even then, it was three days before I could finally take him down, by myself. I didn't realise it at the time, but I was too slow, too late to save Persia. That ordeal changed her completely. The shy, quiet and unassuming girl had died, giving way to the lewd, brash, uncompromising yet entirely artificial Persia that you know now. I've never once seen her being serious since then. Even her feelings for me. She says that she loves me, but I still sense the acting. I can't form a relationship with someone who lives a life devoted to endless façades. When I turned her down, she put on another act then as well, laughing it off as a joke. Why is Persia like this? Because I made her that way. I dragged her into DRO, I pushed everyone so hard to complete the game, and then I made an absolute mess of the final chapter. I know Vince doesn't blame me for what happened. He tells me that I did everything I could to help her, that there was nothing to blame me for, but if that was the case, Persia wouldn't be this way.” Sinon sighs.

“There you go, blaming yourself again. Did you ever stop to think _why_ Vince doesn't blame you for what happened to Persia? Do you seriously believe that she _let_ you drag her into that game? If she really didn't want to play, she wouldn't have. You didn't force her into the game, and you didn't break her either. She didn't lose her grip on reality. Wherever you are, _that_ is reality, virtual or otherwise. The virtual world became Persia's reality, for one reason or another, and she hasn't altered that reality. Have you considered that maybe she doesn't _want_ to return to her original reality? She's spent plenty of time in the real world since that incident, but does it seem to you as though she's trying to return to how she used to be? Or does it seem like she's staying with the change?” Sora freezes on the spot.

“She's... _accepting_ the change? Why?” Sinon looks at him.

“Because she likes it. I'll admit, this is a hypothesis based on my observations, but I believe her acting is linked to you, and her feelings for you. You said she loves you, right? Are you sure, absolutely _sure_ , that the feelings came _after_ DRO? Are you sure they didn't manifest _before_ it? This is my theory: Persia has had feelings for you since before the DRO Incident. Being trapped for seventeen days, while a trying ordeal, also gave her plenty of time to learn about you. Tell me something: Are you the same in the virtual world as you are in the real one?” Sora hesitates, almost uncertain of how to answer.

“I-... well no, not really. Some aspects of my personality are the same, while others are different. I can't think clearly in the real world. I can't do much of anything there really. Now that I think about it, I suppose I'm just as guilty of acting as she is.” Sinon nods.

“Right, and that's an important part of this hypothesis. She likes the person she has become, because of you. Her acting brings her closer to you. She feels that, for whatever reason; she can't be with you in the real world. In the virtual world however, she stands a chance, but not as she is normally. She had to embrace her new self in order to get as close to you as she possibly could. It's entirely possible that she loves the virtual you more than the real one. I suspect that you've been paying more attention to her since then as well. Oh I'm sure it's because you're concerned about her, but that's not what she believes. She thinks you're paying more attention to her because you like the person she's become. It doesn't matter how often you turn her down, she's convinced that deep down you actually like her. So, she acts. She thinks that her constant acting is bringing her closer to you. At first I'm sure she was just hiding her true self, thinking that that was what you wanted, but now that's _become_ her true self. As far as she's concerned, the two of you are destined to be together. I'd tell you to nip it in the bud as soon as possible, but in all honesty I'm not sure how you go about that. Rejecting her doesn't seem to be working. You _could_ try putting on an over-the-top public display of affection with another girl, right in front of Persia. That could work in theory, but I wouldn't count on it.” Sora sighs.

“That's a lot to take in. This whole time I thought Persia cracked under the strain of being in VR too long. Now I see that I was wrong. You've given me a lot to think about, I just wish I knew how to proceed. This isn't a situation I'm knowledgeable about. Not in the slightest. This is like something out of a Dating Sim. I don't play games like that, so I don't really know what I should do. I hate that feeling. I've always known what to do, even in situations I've never encountered before. Even though I'm in a situation just like that, I don't have a clue about what to do. I feel... helpless. I just... I... I don't know. I don't know what I should be doing.” Sinon pats him on the shoulder.

“Nothing. Not right now anyway. You have bigger problems to deal with, remember? This situation with Persia can be resolved at a later time, once we're all safely back in the real world for example. As long as Persia's obsessed with you, she'll protect you from Red Players and other threats. I hate to even think about manipulating her in any way, but in a crisis like this, I think it would be more dangerous not to. We need you Sora, but at the same time I hate myself for even suggesting this course of action. I-” Sora cuts her off.

“So we won't take it. It's alright Sinon. I know you're only worried about me, for reasons I doubt I'll ever understand. You want to make sure I'm not in any danger, as much as physically possible, but I don't want to see you like that. I don't want to see you feeling ashamed with suggesting that we manipulate someone. So we won't. Somehow, I'll figure out a way to resolve this situation with Persia. She won't like it, she may even hate me for it, but I'd rather she hated me for rejecting her than for using her. Even if I end up getting hurt because of this, it's the right thing to do. I don't mean to alarm you, but what you suggested is the start of a very slippery slope, one that could see you becoming a Red Player, or worse, see you siding with Reality Bytes. We've fought against each other in the Bullet of Bullets, but I'd hate to have to fight against you in a life or death battle more than anything. I don't even want to _think_ about hurting you. We'll figure this out Sinon, so don't worry about it, and try not to worry about _me_ so much either. Okay?” Sinon smiles.

“Okay.” As the two walk, they notice how quiet the town has become, considering there are well over two and a half million people living there.

“Kraler sure gets quiet at night huh? It's actually a little soothing. I just hope it lasts, for the duration I mean. We've already lost several hundred to suicide, who knows how many more will take that way out in the future? The longer we stay here though, the more likely it is that people will try, and many of those will succeed. I know we're all doing our best for these people, but despair is a vicious and corrosive poison. It can rip through the heart quickly, or it can seep around the body and slowly infect the mind. It can smother you like a blanket, or fade away only to try again periodically. We're going to have to pull out all the stops to maintain morale, but that's only going to cause other problems, namely stress. People will end up going into nervous breakdowns trying to keep up morale, while others are liable to suffer heart attacks caused by excessive stress. The sooner we reach the Tower of the Gods, the better. I just hope I can keep Reality Bytes off our backs long enough to do that.” Sinon gazes at Sora sadly.

“Sora-” Rushing footsteps interrupt her as a cloaked figure rushes in, attacking Sora ferociously with a Sickle. Sora dodges the first two swings, before drawing a curved Dagger to counter the third attack. The assailant is fast and relentless, attacking Sora endlessly without pause. Sora dances around, trying to stay mobile to make himself a harder target. As the figure slashes at Sora's throat, Sora activates a Sword Skill, parrying the blade and throwing the attacker off balance. Sora slashes at the cloaked figure, damaging the garment, before punching them in the stomach, knocking them back. The attacker throws something at Sora, who tries to dodge it. As a blade slices his right cheek, Sora realises that multiple objects were thrown, most likely throwing knives or shurikens. Glass smashes at Sora's feet, and black smoke billows all around him.

“Sora!” The fear and concern in Sinon's voice sharpens Sora's mind and his senses. He hears the rustle of cloth and the whistling of steel. Sora blindly parries the attack before striking back, slashing viciously. A male voice cries out in pain, somewhere to Sora's right.

“Golyfua Surilia” An Arctic gale rips through, clearing the black smoke instantly. Sora sees his attacker, clutching their concealed face. He faces the assailant calmly.

“It's over. Drop your weapon and surrender. Don't make this any harder than it needs to be.” The attacker raises a hand, holding a wand within it. Sora raises his left hand as well, reacting on reflex. Only Sora incants.

“Kahkrillos!” A burst of electricity explodes against Sora's chest just a split second before a weaker burst shocks the attacker. _Incantation-less Thunder-burst Spell. He's desperate to kill me. Damn Red Player!_ Sora recovers quicker than his opponent, his anger fuelling his recovery, and raises his left hand again.

“Cantis!” A small white bolt rockets from Sora's palm and strikes his opponent in the collarbone with a blast like a large calibre rifle. Sora is already rushing the figure, preparing a Sword Skill on the move. The figure falls back, and his hood falls away as well, revealing the pale skin, blood red eyes and silver hair of a Vampire. Sinon sees something else, something that surprises her.

“Stop! He's green!” Sora stumbles as he missteps, cancelling the Sword Skill even as he fights to keep his balance. The Vampire takes advantage of this, slashing Sora twice and blasting him with the Thunder-burst Spell again. Sora bounces and rolls, before jumping to his feet again, thrusting his left palm before himself.

“Cantis!” Again, a white bolt rockets towards the Vampire, but this time it hits a magic shield. Sora presses his attack nonetheless.

“Kahkrillos!” A burst of electricity explodes against the magic shield, which still seems to be holding. _In that case_. Sora holds both hands outstretched.

“Golyfua Surilia Cadris Sugusyrina!” An Arctic gale blasts through once more, and only Sora can see the four blades made of wind that rush the Vampire. The first two strike the magic shield, shattering it. The third blade severs the Vampire's wand, while the fourth shatters his Sickle. A fist of wind slams into the Vampire's stomach, driving the air out of his lungs and dropping him to his knees. A hand grabs him by the throat and hauls him back onto his feet, allowing him to look into Sora's furious eyes.

“Alright arsehole: you've got three seconds to explain why you attacked me before I fuck you up. Start talking.” The Vampire chokes, struggling to talk.

“You're... Red Player. What... reason do... need?” Sora releases the Vampire, only to strike him with the back of his hand.

“Idiot! You're a fucking moron! Don't you know anything about VRMMOs? _Anyone_ who attacks another player becomes an Orange Player, and _anyone_ who kills another player becomes a Red Player. _However_ the system doesn't differentiate between victims. In other words, if you kill a Red Player, your icon turns red. Hey dumbass! Are you listening? Are you understanding this? Let me spell it out for you: My icon is red because I've killed Red Players. That's it. That's the only reason. You're attacking the one person who's been protecting people like you from the genuine murderers. If you need further proof, look at Sinon here. She's my guild leader, and her icon is green. Do you seriously think anyone would allow a murderer into their guild? Hello? Just how fucking retarded are you?” The Vampire looks weakly at Sinon, seeing for himself that her icon is green.

“You... killed Red Players? Not Green?” Sora sighs.

“No, not Green. Not even Orange. I only kill Red Players, and even _then_ only as a last resort. Try using your brain every now and then you moron. If you'd succeeded in killing me, then _you_ would be a Red Player, and then some other dumb shit would attack you sooner or later. Of course, killing me isn't easy. In case you haven't noticed; I'm a Level 12 Hellborne Swordmage. You wounded me, sure, but only a quarter of my health was lost, and I'm regenerating that as we speak. Pick your targets more carefully in future, and make sure that they deserve to be attacked before going into battle. You're lucky Sinon's here. If she hadn't told me that you were a Green Player, I would have killed you with a fifteen-hit combo. Your cloak hid your icon, so I didn't know any better. From the way you were trying to kill me, I assumed you were a Red Player. You brought all this on yourself, so you'd better be grateful to Sinon for saving your sorry arse.” The Vampire averts his gaze, looking ashamed, but says nothing. More footsteps sound as a group of players arrives on scene. Leading this group is Kuroko.

“We heard fighting. What happened here? Is everyone alright?” Sora sheaths his Dagger.

“We're fine, no thanks to this dumb prick. A potion or a Healing Spell will set _him_ straight, but what he really needs is educating. He failed to evaluate his opponent and attacked me, assuming I was just some murdering Red Player. I would have thought that the fact of me having a casual chat with Sinon here would prove that I'm not, but apparently that isn't the case. If it wasn't for Sinon warning me that he was a Green Player, I would have killed him. He was trying so hard to kill me, I was sure he was a Red Player. I'd appreciate it if you could teach this moron a thing or two about observation, logic and about not biting off more than you can chew. His stupidity will get him killed otherwise.” Kuroko nods.

“I see. Yes, I'll see to it personally that this doesn't happen again. What about you? Do you require treatment?” Sora shakes his head.

“No, I'm good. My health will be fully restored in less than twelve seconds. Nothing he did had any lasting impact upon me.” 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 2nd 2030 – 2218 JST**

Sora stands before a mirror, looking his topless reflection. Behind him stands Sinon, who holds another mirror, allowing Sora to see his own back, and the two structures growing out from either side of his spine. Two jointed limbs protrude from his shoulders, and arc outwards either side of him for three metres. The limbs are wrapped in crimson skin and silver markings. Sora sighs, just seconds before there is a knock on the door.

“Enter.” Reflected in the mirror before him, Sora sees the door to his room open, Kirito and Asuna walking in. The both hesitate at the sight of Sora. He smiles a little.

“Just checking out my wings, or what I have of them at this stage. The limbs themselves have formed, but the wing membrane is currently absent. Two more levels though, and my wings will be fully formed. They're going to be pretty big by the look of things, like those found on Western Dragons. They'll extend down my spine almost all the way to my tail.” Kirito and Asuna start at this. Even Sinon seems surprised.

“You... have a tail?” Sora lowers the waistband of his trousers slightly, and a long, dark red tail uncoils. It is thin and whip-like, ending in three barbs aligned one after the other. The tail darts around, curling and uncurling, moving restlessly.

“I tend to keep it hidden because I don't like the idea of it getting cut off. Still, keeping it under wraps for long periods results in cramps, particularly as I exercise it more and more. When I hit Level 10, I unlocked a new Build Stat: Tail Skills. If I level that up, I'll be able to use my tail in combat. First to stab enemies with it, then at later levels I'll be able to wield weapons with it too. I may just end up being this game's first Tri-wielder.” Sinon looks amazed.

“Impressive. That's really cool. I never knew anyone could even have tails, other than Beast People I mean.” Sora nods.

“Hellbornes and Dragonborns are the only other races with tails. With the Dragonborns, the tail is strictly used in flying. With the Beast People, it's there for balance, while the Hellbornes use their tails for battle. We're creatures of war, us Hellbornes. Everything about our anatomy is tailored towards combat, from tails that can stab or wield swords, to powerful wings for aerial combat, to our ability to breathe fire like a Dragon or a Dragonborn can.” Sinon's amazement seems to get stronger at this. Asuna steps forwards, looking at Sora's tail.

“How exactly are you moving it around like that? That _is_ your doing, right?” Sora nods.

“Yeah, it's all me. Additional extremities like wings and tails have a very similar control method to ALO's flight engine. You know how you can fly by visualising virtual bones and muscles in your back, right? It's kind of the same principle here. Well, it builds upon that principle actually. Whereas in ALO, you would start off by shuffling the wings, and then the system would take over; here it isn't so easy. Every movement of a player's wings and/or tail comes from their own visualisations. I hope you understand what I mean by that, because you'll need to in order to fly. In the simplest terms I can manage: my tail moves like this because I'm telling it too. I'm focusing so much on my imaginary appendage that I can actually feel the muscles, bones, and nerves. It's tricky to do, and mentally exhausting, but the result is truly amazing. This is one of the new features made possible by the SoulMersion. The 5th generation Medicuboid can do the same stuff too, but not the AmuSphere patch. The AmuSphere was updated to focus purely on Unique Sword Skills, Flight, and Custom Avatars. The other new features are too much for the patch to handle.” Asuna hesitates a moment. _He's visualising this? The way his tail coils around, practically tying itself in knots, that's something his mind is imagining? He says he can feel his tail, but how? How can someone feel something that doesn't exist? It's just data, ones and zeros. Nothing more_. Kirito speaks up.

“Why would QZR Studios create something so complicated? Wouldn't it be better to copy Alfheim Online's Flight Engine?” Sora shakes his head.

“That's _too_ easy. Don't forget that this game is _supposed_ to be ridiculously difficult. There are other reasons as well. ALO's system is easy, but haven't you noticed the flaw with flying there? Manoeuvrability is pretty lacking. With this new system, complex as it is, there's a possibility for remarkable manoeuvrability and agility for anyone who can master the technique. The technology used in the SoulMersion and in this game as well is exceptionally advanced, enough so that I can actually feel the nerves and muscles in my tail and wings. Even though they're not actually a part of me, the information from the game is detailed enough for me to actually feel them, as though they really are part of me. Then there's the other reason; one based upon a spiritualist concept: The power of Positive Mental Attitude. In other words, the occurrence of seemingly impossible actions through visualisation and willpower. The theory goes that if you believe strongly enough, you can make anything happen, such as a change to your physiology. QZR Studios has implemented that belief here. If we spend enough time visualising wings, we may begin to change our physical bodies in that manner. We won't grow wings, most likely. Not our generation anyway. However, if I were to play this game daily for the next fifty years, flying and using my tail, I'd alter my body's DNA structure. That change would be passed onto any kids I have. If they play daily for fifty years, the alteration will strengthen. They may start to grow protrusions that in the next generation, or the generation after, would become wings, capable of flight even. _In theory_ anyway.” Kirito looks confused, Sinon looks amazed, and Asuna looks sceptical. All three ask the same question at the same time, in different tones.

“Seriously?” Sora tilts his head from side to side for a moment before answering, seeming a little uncertain.

“Well... I mean there's no _scientific_ evidence for it, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. We just haven't been able to conduct experiments on the principles of Positive Mental Attitude in a controlled environment. Or in an uncontrolled environment for that matter. What you have to remember is that QZR Studios were looking to push the boundaries of technology when creating this game. It relies upon a whole new generation of Artificial Intelligence, Sensory Information Translators, Neurological Accelerators, Nerve Impulse Transformers, and a whole host of other tech I'm not going to pretend I understand. Like I said, I can actually _feel_ these wings and my tail, even though they're just data. That's the kind of technology we're dealing with here. QZR Studios wanted Destiny's Calling to be a game that would not only remain original even after decades of gameplay, but would be remembered for that long and beyond as well. It should come as no surprise that they would gamble upon something like this. If this spiritualist concept is proven accurate, then DCO will be directly responsible for accelerating Human evolution, a process that normally takes aeons.” Kirito and Asuna are both stunned into silence, but Sinon manages to talk.

“Did you... know about all of this?” Sora nods.

“Naturally. This potentially groundbreaking feature is the one of the main reasons I decided to play this game. The advancement of Human evolution? There are people who'd give anything to experience that. Unfortunately, the attack by Reality Bytes jeopardizes everything. Governments across the world will likely to try and shut down not just the game, but Virtual Reality as a whole. VR's been getting a lot of bad press over the past few years, and many people are saying 'enough is enough'. I can't support that, in fact I vehemently oppose it, but I'm just one guy. My voice alone isn't loud enough to be heard over the opposition. Even then, even if VR is somehow spared, QZR Studios is likely to go bankrupt from this. They'll be sued relentlessly, and be forced to pay out so much in damages and reparations. The same thing happened with Argus after the SAO Incident. They were taken over by RCT, who for some reason also collapsed. Administration of ALO was then handed over to another company, who still maintains it. Unfortunately, I don't see the same thing happening for DCO. Maintaining this game would require a large company, and there aren't any big enough for it. QZR Studios is the biggest VRMMO production company, with more than 2,500 full-time employees, and another 1,500 part-time employees. By comparison, the next largest company is Zaskar, which has just under a thousand employees, full-time _and_ part-time. That's less than a quarter. They'd never be able to handle the maintenance of Destiny's Calling Online _and_ Gun Gale Online. Which is why we have to achieve the best possible outcome for this crisis. We'll have to pull out all the stops in order to keep DCO active. I'll do everything I can to protect not just this game, but the Virtual World as a whole. I can't do this alone though.” Sinon holds out her hand, palm down.

“Nor will you have to. Despite the occasional bad experience, the virtual world is an important part of my life. Through it, I've met you, and Kirito and Asuna, and so many other incredible people. The virtual world has given me so much, so you can bet I'll do everything I can to protect it. We're in this together.” Sora places his hand on top of Sinon's, just moments before Kirito places his hand in the mix.

“Even though it was a two year struggle to survive, Sword Art Online brought me new friends, and a family as well. It's possible I may never have met any of them, or either of you two, if not for VRMMOs. This world is as much my home as the real world is, and I'll protect both of them with every fibre of my being.” Asuna places her hand atop Kirito's.

“For the sake of my family, my friends, and for everyone who loves the virtual world as I do, you can count on me to fight for its survival.” Yui appears from Kirito's pocket and flutters down onto the pile of hands.

“This world literally _is_ my home. I have nowhere else to live. I have to fight to protect my home for my own sake as much as for mommy and daddy, and all our friends.” Sora nods.

“Thank you. All of you. You don't know how much it means to me to know I can count on your support in this.” After a moment, he smiles mischievously.

“This must look really lame from an outside perspective. Does anyone still do the whole 'hands in' thing, or is it just us losers?” Kirito rolls his eyes as everyone pulls their hands back.

“Way to kill the atmosphere there Nebula. Really cool of you.” Sora raises an eyebrow.

“Well, I _was_ going to give you a Life Force Tonic, but if _that's_ your attitude I guess I'll find some other Vampire and give it to them instead.” Kirito does a double take.

“A Life Force Tonic? Will that stop me from needing to bite someone?” Sora shakes his head as he takes a small vial of pale red liquid from his inventory.

“No, it won't stop you. It'll just satisfy the bloodlust for a while. I only had the ingredients to make one tonic. There's two servings, but it'll still only satisfy you for a little while. A day, maybe two, and then you'll need another tonic, or a monster to bite. I only got the ingredients by chance, from quests. If I can find more, I'll make more tonics, but I don't know where to get the ingredients. I didn't see them for sale anywhere. I can look again in the morning, but don't go getting your hopes up.” Kirito nods as he takes the bottle from Sora.

“Well, thanks anyway. A day or two is still better than right now.” Sora nods, then looks curiously at Kirito and Asuna.

“Say, you two came here for a reason, right? Was there something you needed from me?” Asuna steps forwards.

“We came to ask a favour. You can contact the outside world, right? All of us here, we've got people out there who will be worrying about us, who'll want to know that we're alright, who won't understand what's going on. We wanted to ask you if you could get our messages out there. Can you? Will you? Will you help us with this?” Sora looks troubled, and starts pacing back and forth.

“It's true that I've managed to contact QZR Studios. Twice in fact. Still, it wasn't easy to do that. I'm not a skilled hacker. I can't block Reality Bytes indefinitely. Last time I had to swarm them with viruses in order to get word out. Those viruses were nothing special, just spam really. If they've figured it out, they'll intercept the messages and block them, or else try to use them against you in some manner. I need you to understand what your asking of me. We're dealing with hackers whose skills dwarf mine by no small margin, and I can't keep fighting them like this. I can only infiltrate and distract, not conduct cyber-warfare. Even so, I understand where you're coming from. Alright, here's what we'll do. Gather the others and tell them to write out messages. I'll attach them all to a message that I will send to Director Shiraishi. If we combine the messages, and send them all at once, we reduce the odds of interception. Shiraishi can then distribute the messages to your chosen recipients. I'll send another virus swarm out against Reality Bytes to distract them. Bear in mind that this will be the last time I can do this, contact the outside world. My tricks won't be safe to use any longer. Hell, there's no guarantee of success _this_ time around, so don't include any sensitive information. I'll use every trick up my sleeve nonetheless, but once this message is sent, the only way we'll be able to communicate with the outside world is if _they_ find a way to get through to us. I'm sorry, but this is the best I can do. If you really want to get your messages out though, I'll do my best to make sure they get out safely. Okay?” Asuna nods.

“I understand, and thank you. We'll tell the others and come to you once we've written out everything we wanted to say.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 3rd 2030 – 0008 JST**

Director Shiraishi sits at his desk, looking pale and drawn. There is a knock at his door, which opens almost immediately. Shiraishi looks up as a tall, middle-aged man walks in. His short dark hair is speckled with grey, and crow's feet are beginning to appear at the corners of his eyes. He smiles at Shiraishi.

“Director Daichi Shiraishi? My name is Seijirō Kikuoka, head of the Ministry of Internal Affair's Virtual Division. I'm sorry I haven't been able to get here sooner, but this crisis is far bigger than any we've ever had to deal with before. It took a Hell of a lot just for me to able to come here now.” Shiraishi nods.

“I can appreciate that, and I'm glad you could come. We're going to need your help in resolving this, but first, how is the Player Relocation Operation going?” Kikuoka sits down opposite Shiraishi.

“All players have been safely relocated to suitable hospitals and connected to life support machinery. Well, all _surviving_ players that is. Around three and a half thousand have died so far, killed from within the game it seems. This is just like the SAO Incident, but I have to ask: How is it possible that players can be killed by the game like this?” Shiraishi looks saddened and angry in equal measure.

“Destiny's Calling Online uses cutting edge technology to create the most immersive VRMMO to date. We had endless safety systems in place, as well as fail-safes on top of fail-safes on top of fail-safes. And all of that counts for nothing. Reality Bytes seized control of the game and all of its systems. They shut down every safety protocol and fallback we'd spent years perfecting. Because of the advanced nature of the software and hardware, sensory information can be produced in vast enough quantities to trick a player into believing they're in the real world. With the pain limiters deactivated, along with every other safety system, the players are all vulnerable to that same sensory information. They can only handle so much, particularly pain, and Reality Bytes have forced them to experience more than they can handle. We thought the Pain Limiters had simply been switched off at first, but we discovered earlier that Reality Bytes have reversed the Limiters, meaning that players can now experience more pain than should be physically possible. Some players experience heart attacks, but others have experienced such a severe level of pain that the Nerve Impulse Relay is overpowered, meaning that the players move their physical bodies. At least seven players have suffered broken necks due to this. Such an extreme isn't always necessary though. The pain that the players experience, in some cases it's enough to send them into a state of shock, which can also kill them. Even a small, normally superficial wound is capable of killing them if they go into shock.” Kikuoka nods slowly.

“I see. So that's how they died. What's the status of Reality Bytes? Have they made any demands?” Shiraishi finds himself smiling at this.

“They're not in any position to. By luck or by divine providence; Reality Bytes have been trapped inside the game as well. One of the players, who we're calling Nebula, has managed to prevent those terrorists from logging out, trapping them atop the Tower of the Gods; the final dungeon in the game. They've been isolated from their hostages, and their Admin Interface Terminal has been disconnected. For now anyway. Nebula is planning to defeat Reality Bytes, and thereby free the players from the game. He was able to contact us through the use of computer viruses, and also bought a window of time for a rescue team to be sent in to assist him.” Kikuoka looks surprised by this.

“You sent more people in? Are you sure that was the best decision? How do we know that this Nebula can be trusted?” Shiraishi is somewhat hesitant in his answer.

“So far, Nebula has done nothing but protect the other players, throwing his own life on the line repeatedly to do so. I was suspicious of him at first, but now I'm less inclined to suspect him, knowing who he really is.” Kikuoka raises an eyebrow.

“You know his identity? Who is he?” Shiraishi is about to respond when his computer screen suddenly goes haywire. It flashes on and off repeatedly, and strange patterns of colours crawl back and forth. After several seconds, the screen resolves itself into the image of a crimson skinned Demon standing in a dark forest. On either side of him, and standing back a fair way, are two Elves, a Vampiric looking young man, a Faerie, a tiny Pixie, a Werewolf, a bear-like man, and a woman who seems to be made of shadows. The Demon speaks.

“Director Shiraishi; I don't know how long this connection will last, so I'll keep it brief. I'm sending an email to your office computer. Attached to it are messages from each member of the Rescue Team, and myself as well. The email details where these messages need to go. Please, we need you to distribute them accordingly. This'll be the last time I can contact the real world. My skills as a hacker are vastly inferior to that of Reality Bytes. If they've managed to reconnect their AIT to the network, then they may be spying on us right now. I don't think that's the case, but it's possible. The viruses I've used to distract them are all very basic, easy to deal with even for a complete novice. I'm at the limits of my capabilities in this field, and I've exhausted every trick I possess. Please, you have to deliver our messages. There are people out there who will be worried about us, who will want to know what's going on, and to know that we're alright, for the time being at least.” Shiraishi nods.

“Leave it to me Nebula. I'll see to it personally that the messages reach their destinations.” Kikuoka moves around next to Shiraishi, looking at the screen.

“That's Nebula; your inside man?” Sora looks curiously at Kikuoka.

“That's right. You're not a member of QZR Studios then. Are you with the police?” Kikuoka shakes his head.

“No I'm not. I'm with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. My name is Seijirō Kikuoka.” Kirito steps forwards, beside Sora.

“Chrysheight? So you're involved in this too, I should have known.” Kikuoka frowns at the Vampire.

“Is that... Kirito? Then the others with you... are from SAO as well?” Kirito nods.

“Aside from my cousin Suguha, and Cassandra: a QZR employee.” Sora speaks again interrupting Kikuoka.

“What's the situation in the real world? Have you made any progress finding Reality Bytes' hideout?” Kikuoka hesitates, so Shiraishi answers instead.

“We're working with the police to try and compile a list of possible locations, but we don't even know what country they infiltrated us from. Even _if_ they're based in Japan, there's still an endless number of possibilities.” Sora nods.

“I know. I understand that. Still, give it your best efforts. If we can find the dive site, we can apprehend the group. If the members trapped inside somehow manage to pull out, we need them to do so whilst surrounded by police officers. Even if the ones in the game don't make it out alive, we can still arrest the others. They're just as responsible for this disaster as the ones making the infiltration. We can't let any one of them escape punishment.” Kikuoka speaks up as something occurs to him.

“How did you do it? Trap Reality Bytes I mean? You said their skills are superior to yours, so how did you manage it?” All eyes are on Sora as he hesitates.

“It wasn't planned. When Reality Bytes appeared and revealed that the logout option had been removed, I went to try and reverse that. The algorithm they're using; it goes beyond anything I've ever encountered before. Even so, there were some sections of code I could understand. I saw a code that excluded certain player ID's from the logout block. On a spur of the moment, I attempted to use that code to my advantage, somehow. I was able to delete that section of code, and with it the exclusion list. I then used GM credentials to force a teleport, sending Reality Bytes to the roof of the Tower of the Gods, and disconnected the Admin Interface Terminal there from the network. On reflection I probably should have teleported them into the middle of a Dragon's nest or something, but that didn't occur to me until it was too late. The system realised I wasn't a GM and locked out the credentials I was using.” A thought occurs to Shiraishi at this.

“I just remembered; there's supposed to be Moderators in the game, making sure people are behaving themselves. There were fifty-seven scheduled to work during the launch. Are they still in the game? They should be able to help you.” Sora navigates his menus quickly.

“Only players are here. No GM's, and no Moderators. They're not in the game.” Shiraishi hesitates as a knot of dread begins to form in his stomach.

“But... they _were_ logged in. Fifty-seven of them. They were all online for the launch. They should have been online until 3am.” Sora shakes his head.

“Well, they're not. It's possible that when Reality Bytes infiltrated the game, that they were kicked out of it by this freaky algorithm. If I'm brutally honest though, I think it's much more likely that they've been terminated. They would pose a threat to Reality Bytes after all. If those hackers are as strategically minded as I am, then the Moderators will have been killed before Reality Bytes made its big announcement. I'm sorry, I wish I could be more optimistic about their fate, but that would be incredibly naïve of me.” Shiraishi is stunned into silence. _They've been killed? Even the Moderators have been targeted by Reality Bytes. Are they really so heartless that they would resort to mass murder? I can't... I can't... I can't see the logic in that. Ultimately, the goal of Reality Bytes is to put an end to Virtual Reality, but something doesn't add up. Why would they slaughter the Moderators like that? To commit such a heinous crime, it would only weaken their position. No-one would take Reality Bytes seriously after such barbarism. Why would we? How could we trust that they want what's best for everyone when they've murdered in cold blood? So then, was it really Reality Bytes who killed them, or someone else?_ Kikuoka seems to have come to the same conclusion.

“There's something critically wrong with that explanation. Why would Reality Bytes resort to mass murder, when doing so would only hurt their position? They claim that they're trying to protect us, but no-one in their right mind would trust a group of murderers.” Sora catches on to this line of reasoning.

“You suspect third party involvement. Someone who murdered the Moderators for their own reasons, right? I can see the logic in that. So then, what's the motive? Killing the Moderators helps Reality Bytes by removing a strong opposition. At the same time however, it hurts Reality Bytes, as they will be blamed for the killings. If I run with that... then the killers want to _protect_ Virtual Reality. They want the murders to make Reality Bytes' words fall on deaf ears, thereby sabotaging their crusade. The question is: Why? What's in it for this third party? They're willing to commit murder for the sake of the Virtual World, even though doing so would assist the Reality Bytes members trapped in here with us. That raises another question: If they're protecting the Virtual World, why haven't they killed Reality Bytes? They must be more than capable. Moderators are locked at Level 1,000, that's five times the player level cap. If this third party can kill Moderators who are basically Gods in this game, then why haven't they killed the vastly inferior Reality Bytes hackers? There's something I'm not seeing here, something big. I'll try and investigate the matter on my end, but the thing is: I won't be able to relay my findings, I don't think. So it would be a good idea to investigate on your end as well. Once we deal with Reality Bytes and free the players trapped here, we'll meet up IRL and share our findings. Together we can end this nightmare and avoid the worst case scenario.” Kikuoka nods.

“Understood. We'll do what we can here, so make sure you're doing the best that _you_ can in _there_. I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt for now Nebula, don't make me regret that decision.” Sora nods.

“You won't. I'll bring everyone back safely, even if it costs me my life. You have my word on that.” An expression of shock and fear manifests on Sora's face, his eyes widening.

“Oh shit! Get back!” An explosion of light and sound follows Sora's cry. Just before the screen goes blank, Shiraishi and Kikuoka see Sora getting launched into a tree trunk and falling limply to the ground.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 3rd 2030 – 00:22 JST**

Prometheus stands at the edge of the rooftop, surveying the land around and below him. Way to the south, he can see a number of Giants fighting amongst one another, tearing up trees to strike each other with, or else hurling boulders. He hears footsteps approaching, but doesn't turn to face his companion.

“Do we know who it was, or who they were trying to contact?” A female voice answers him.

“The credentials match that of someone by the name 'Jibril'. According to my intel, Jibril is the most senior Moderator working at QZR Studios. We're not sure who they were trying to contact, but it was most likely Director Shiraishi.” Prometheus nods.

“I see. I must say, I didn't expect this turn of events. I wasn't aware that QZR had any employees so skilled with computers and network intrusion. Nevertheless, this Moderator must be the one who fucked us. Has there been any word from Valkyrie?” The hesitation in the woman's voice is audible.

“There have been no messages as of yet. What troubles me the most is that I don't see his player name listed. Under normal circumstances, that would mean he is dead, but how can that be possible? Valkyrie is... well he's invincible. Even so, there can be no other explanation. If he has been killed, then it must have been at the hands of a coward, one who would stab him in the back.” Prometheus turns to face his companion at last, and looks gravely at the young woman with long silver hair and hazel eyes set in a youthful face.

“We must hope that this is not the case. If we lose Valkyrie, we lose not only our first line of defence, but our first line of offence and our primary informant as well. Valkyrie is supposed to blend in with the players, monitor them, and take the necessary steps to prevent them from reaching us, whilst simultaneously trying to help get us out of here. We need his expertise, his combat prowess, and his extraordinary mind. We must hope that he _is_ still alive, but that necessity forced him to change his player name. Run a search for all of his known aliases. He must be using one of them, to let us know he is alive.” The woman nods.

“Aye sir, I'll get right on it.” Prometheus smiles faintly.

“Good. Now, what about this Moderator? Do you think it's possible that we killed them, Aria?” The woman shakes her head.

“I highly doubt that. Moderators exceed the game's level cap. Even if we injured them, that damage will be fully restored by now.” Prometheus tuts, disappointed.

“That's too bad. Our mission will be easier if the Moderators are all killed off. Still, there is something about this one that troubles me. Why would they go out of their way to contact the outside world, given the dangers it presents? What was it they were sending that was so important they would risk their own life to do so? Were you able to analyse it at all?” Aria shakes her head again.

“I'm afraid not. I only glimpsed the encryption on the message, but it was way beyond my skills to decipher. The only ones capable of breaking that encryption are Valkyrie, Pleiades and Kronos.” Prometheus nods slowly.

“I see. Monitor the network closely in future. If this Jibril tries to send another message, intercept it and route it to Valkyrie. We'll have him decrypt the message.” Aria nods, and departs. Just after she does so, Prometheus sees a flashing mail icon. _Someone sent me a message?_ He presses the icon, and reads the message with shock and intrigue.

“Prometheus, be on your guard. The celebrities have arrived, but they are tougher than anticipated. We have linked up with another celebrity and her accomplice, who concerns me. He is without a doubt the strongest player in town. He may even rival Valkyrie, but there is something off about him. I have my suspicions, but I will say nothing until I have confirmation. It was he who contacted the real world a few minutes ago. We each compiled messages which he sent to Shiraishi, for redistribution. I have contacted Kronos and updated him on the situation. For now, fortify your defences and refrain from drawing attention, or this player's wrath. He is very dangerous, and does not hesitate to gamble with his life. We are heading towards you via the Path of Destiny, but I will see to it that only I arrive there. I will contact you again when I have confirmed my suspicions. Pleiades.” Prometheus smiles maliciously. _So Pleiades has brought in our celebrity hostages? Excellent. Once she has uncovered the identity of our plus one, she will contact me, so that we can erase him from existence. The stage is set and the stars are in place. All that remains is the curtain call._


	6. Lover's Quarrel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natalie Peak, known as Nephthys in Destiny's Calling, is a prolific player killer. After a hunt, she reflects upon the events of her life that led up to the present day, starting from the day she first met and trained Virtual Demon. When she discovers that Sinon is wearing an Astral Cloak, she makes the decision to kill her, a decision enforced by her jealousy of the friendship Sinon has with Sora. Nephthys gathers her guild of Red Players with a plan to ambush the Rescue Team in the Tower of Kraler. Will the Rescue Team survive this ambush? What secrets will come to light within the Tower?

**March 3rd 2030 – 0847 JST**

A raven-haired woman with pitch black skin creeps soundlessly amongst the trees, navigating the undergrowth effortlessly. A few metres ahead of her is a youngish man, late twenties, with short sandy hair. He wears no armour, just normal green clothing, and carries an axe. The woman can see his green player icon, and his player name: Yakitori Lover 717. She frowns at the name. _How unimaginative, even for a Human. That name lacks creativity, personality and mystery. Too plain, too boring. Like the man himself, and that basic axe he carries. It is to be expected though. He's just a Carpenter. Still, he has money. He has money, but not the intellect or worth to use it. That money deserves a better owner_. As the woman glances about herself, she sees several other players, similarly armed and attired. All bear a guild emblem: an axe splitting a log. _The Woodcutter Guild. The name is the most exciting part of this gathering of tragedies. Humans really are frightfully pathetic creatures_. A short way behind the Woodcutters, well hidden amongst the foliage in their green and brown cloaks, are more players, all bearing red player icons. One of the Red Players makes a bird call. The woman watches as two Woodcutters glance upwards into the trees momentarily, before returning their attention lower down after a second at the most. The woman rolls her eyes. _Imbeciles. As if birds like that exist in this world. There is not a brain cell amongst the lot of them_. Another bird call sounds, and the woman rushes forwards silently, knowing her companions are doing likewise. The sandy haired man turns to see the woman bearing down on him and starts to run, but it's pointless. She slashes deep into the man's spine with a serrated blade, earning a cry of pain. The air is filled with a chorus of cries and screams, most being cut short halfway. The sandy haired man rolls over even as he scrabbles backwards, and sees the woman standing over him.

“Wait! I'm a player! I'm Human like you!” The woman steps on the man's right leg, halting his retreat, before crouching down in front of him.

“I know that. Do you think I'm retarded? Do you think I've gone round the bend? Is that it? Hmm? No answer? Well, that doesn't matter. You're only Human after all. Humans are shit. Nothing more, nothing less. Yet you announce your humanity like that means something. Like it makes you special. Like it gives you the right to live. Well let me tell you something: It doesn't mean a fucking thing. Not one. You are just a germ, a virus. That's all mankind is: a virus. Your ego gets in the way of understanding that truth, and has turned you into an even bigger piece of shit than you already were. Well, that doesn't matter any more. I'm bored of talking to you. You're pathetic. Just like any other Human.” She thrusts the blade deep into the man's throat, deep enough to pierce the tree trunk behind him. The man spasms, then disintegrates. She stands up with a sigh. _How did it come to this again? Did I really choose to end up here, hunting meat heads for money? Or was my path decided for me, predetermined by a higher power? I don't know. All I know is that it all started more than five years ago, in Alfheim Online_. Another Red Player comes over to her, his blood red hair shining in the sunlight.

“Hey Nephthys; the Boss says there's another party nearby. Want to boost your earnings?” Nephthys shakes her head.

“No thanks, Tasukete, I'm good. I'm heading back into town to get some sleep. I hunt better at night. I'll message you if something interesting comes up.” Tasukete looks a little put out.

“I see. Guess that makes sense. Alright, get some rest. I'll catch you later.” Nephthys turns and leaves without saying another word. The whole time she walks, her mind wanders. _Yes, that's right. Everything I do makes sense. Of course it does. That's the way it's supposed to be. No action without reaction, no life without meaning. There is a reason for everything I do, and yet it all goes back to one common source._ Him _. The one Human I have ever respected: the man I love. I have never met another like him, and I will never forget our meeting. I wasn't always like this, but meeting that man changed my life completely._

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_I remember it as though it just happened. I was thirteen at the time, and I had been playing Alfheim Online for six months. I was an Undine by the name of Nefertiti, and one of exceptional skill. Everything came naturally to me, so of course I came to be one of the most powerful of Undines, even more powerful than most of the veterans. Following the completion of a quest, and after rejecting the advances of a foolish boy, I found myself walking the forest between Undine and Spriggan territory, when I heard shouting, snarling, and howling. The sounds of wolves going in for the kill. What I saw was not what I was expecting. To be sure, players being attacked by packs of wolves is common, but this player was different. A Spriggan, and an undeniable rookie, barely able to hold his sword. Even so, he fought against those wolves._ That _is what was so unusual. Newbies usually run away from wolves, only to be brought down by them, what with them being faster. This Spriggan on the other hand, he didn't run. He fought. Hard. He knew he was in a game, he knew he wasn't really going to die, so he wasn't afraid of the wolves. I had never seen that before. Intrigued, and eager to find out more about this Spriggan, I resolved to help him. Six of the wolves fell to my blade, leaving just one. I left that one alive so the Spriggan could train against it, properly._

_“Move your feet more. You're too planted. Swordsmanship isn't just about swinging a sword, it's about agility, about evading attacks, about finding your opponent's weak spot and thrusting your sword into it. If you stand like a statue, you'll be an easy target. You're gripping that sword wrong as well. You're holding a sword, not stick with dog poo on it. Grip it closer to the cross-guard so you can balance the weight better. Learn to swing from the wrist and the elbow from time to time. You're a swordsman, not a lumberjack. Don't swing all the time though, throw some thrusts in there as well. You're not using your left hand either. When you're not balancing yourself with it, you should try throwing punches, or else grab that mangy mutt by the throat.” The boy had listened to my instructions and taken them to heart it seemed. As the wolf lunged for him, he thrust his sword into its open jaws and stabbed the brain. A good kill. The Spriggan had turned to face me, and only then did I really see him. A shaved head is not all that uncommon, but his eye colour was. While his left eye was brown, his right eye was green. What surprised me most was how young he looked. He must have been eleven at the most, but his expression was strangely mature, and haunted._

_“Thanks for the pointers, and the rescue. Those wolves just came out of nowhere and started biting the crap out of me. Can't say I enjoyed that.” His attitude was, well I suppose I should have expected it given his age, but combined with his serious expression it seemed so... out of place. It felt like I was talking to an adult._

_“I just happened to be passing by. I'm guessing you're new to VRMMOs.” It was strange how he responded to that assessment. Not the words he spoke, but the flash of pain at the mention of the game genre._

_“Yeah, that's right. This is my first one, and I started playing about two hours ago. It's very different to the RPGs I'm used to playing. Only a shitty GM would set up an encounter of that difficulty against a newbie like me. Is Alfheim Online always like this?” Hearing that he was familiar with Role Playing Games intrigued me, as did his admission of being a rookie. It wasn't so much that he admitted it, but the fact that he accepted it and didn't care._

_“Yeah, those types of encounters happen all the time. This game is Skill-based, not Level-based. That means the system thinks you either have what it takes to kill a pack of wolves, or run away from them. You've got the potential to be a strong fighter, after some training of course. If you've got time, I can help you out with that.” I had half expected him to turn me down, but I felt it was worth asking anyway. He seemed pretty indifferent, which struck me as strange._

_“If it's okay with you, then it's fine by me too. I've got time to spare.” I hadn't known what to make of that response, so I decided to try changing tact a little, to see if I could get passed this impersonal barrier he seemed to maintain._

_“It's not a problem. I have to say, your resolve is pretty impressive. I've never seen someone so green take on a pack of wolves like that before. Most people turn tail and run, pissing their pants.” The compliment was supposed to feed his ego and make him smile, thereby lowering his defences. Instead, it seemed to confuse him._

_“I don't understand the logic in that. I mean, this is just a game isn't it? If you die, you re-spawn. No big deal right? So why would people get scared? Why would they run away from a fight? Why would they fear something that cannot possibly come to pass? It just doesn't make any sense.” I suppose I should have expected that response, but it was wrong._ He _was wrong. He was mistaken about the world, and I couldn't sit by and watch him throw away his potential as a result._

_“Well yes, technically you're correct about that. You can't actually die in here. The thing is though, when your character is killed, the avatar's skills are all reset to rock bottom. You'd have to start over from scratch. In that regard, it's best to treat death in ALO as a proper death. You'll find it easier to prevent losing your character like that. You should treat ALO as reality in_ all _regards, otherwise that mindset is inevitably going to end up limiting your potential. You have a lot of that, it'd be a shame to see it go to waste because of a simple viewpoint.” Even then, I knew I hadn't convinced him of the truth. There was something in his eyes. Not scepticism, nor doubt, but something else. I never did figure out whether is was disapproval, or disappointment. It may even have been both. What I_ do _remember is that we went deeper into the forest for further training. We'd spar against each other, but only while we waited for monsters to spawn. When they did, I let the Spriggan handle the fighting, while I merely watched and gave tips. We kept it up for about three hours. His skill improved quite a lot, but I knew he was still treating it like a game. I could see it still holding him back. He called time on the training, and we left the forest together. At the crossroads, he sent me a Friend Request. Even though I'd spent so long in his company, I'd never noticed his name before. When I finally saw it, I didn't know how to react. A part of me wanted to laugh. I mean, it was absurdly arrogant, but I didn't laugh. Somehow, I knew there was a specific reason he chose that name. I'll never forget it either. I just never knew at that time that the whole world would come to know the name 'Virtual Demon.'_

_Six weeks went by. I knew he was logging on, and quite a lot it seemed, but we never spoke. I thought about messaging him a few times, but I was too stubborn to break the silence. Even so, I'd heard rumours about this powerful new Spriggan that was dominating the quests. I paid no attention to the rumours though, and focused on honing my skills. One day, while exploring the caves near Sylph territory, I came under attack from a big group of Minotaurs. There were around twenty of them. I'd never been up against a Mob Swarm like that before, but I wasn't going to back down. If they spawned in, that meant the system felt I was capable of killing them. I fought. Dear God but I fought so hard. Those Minotaurs were a lot stronger than my usual prey though, and they were more strategic than I anticipated as well. I had to use everything I had just to stay alive, but it was no good. They smacked me around good and proper, and then I lost my sword. I was outnumbered, overpowered, and now unarmed. I got scared. I was afraid to die. Who wouldn't be? I was so sure they would kill me, and then three of them died. A fourth one ended up having a sword erupting out of its chest, and I saw the serrated blade. When that Minotaur died, I saw who it was who came to my rescue, and I was so shocked by the sight of him. Okay, so the chrome blue armour seemed a little ostentatious, but that didn't matter. Virtual Demon had arrived, wielding a single serrated longsword, and he looked so calm and confident. The Minotaurs aggro'd against him and charged. Did he care? Hell no he didn't! He took them all on at once. All twelve of the surviving Minotaurs. He showed no fear at all, and he never once flinched even when he was getting slashed, stabbed and clubbed. He just took it all in his stride, and killed them all. He looked like some indestructible God of war. When he saw me though, and threw my sword at me, I knew something was wrong, I just didn't expect it to be what it was. He was furious with me, absolutely livid._

_“What the fuck do you think you're doing Nefertiti?” His aggression, his anger, it shocked me more than his sudden appearance, and his remarkable skill. I'd never stuttered before then, and never again since._

_“I-I-I-” I didn't get the chance to say any more than that._

_“You were what? Tired? On drugs? Don't you dare tell me you were afraid! This is a game, God damn it! A_ game _! Get that through your thick fucking skull! You. Can._ NOT _. Die._ HERE _! The sooner you learn that the better. I can't always be here to save your sorry arse, and I don't fucking intend to either!” I honestly couldn't understand what he was saying. I had always treated ALO as reality. Always. That logic had become ingrained into my mind, and I believed it. Now here he was, telling me that I was wrong, shattering my reality. I tried to defend it, naturally._

_“N-no, that's not right! You have to treat this as reality or you'll just end up losing everything. This viewpoint, this belief; it's the reason I've become so strong. I-” Again he cut me off, only this time he sounded incredulous, practically laughing at me, and exasperated as well._

_“Strong? You call yourself strong? You still think that after getting the shit kicked out of you? Your sword was knocked out of your hand for fuck's sake! If you_ really _were strong I wouldn't have had to come to your fucking rescue! You're not strong, you're pathetic! This stupid idea you've fooled yourself into believing, it's holding you back. You will_ never _be strong. Not while you think this game is real. At best you'll do okay in a one-on-one situation, with an opponent the same level as you or lower. In a swarm situation, or against a higher level enemy, you will be crushed, wiped out and utterly destroyed. You're weak. You're weak because you treat the game like it's real, and it's holding you back. As long as you believe that lie, you will always be weak.” I couldn't believe that the little kid I saved from a pack of wolves was talking to me this way. I mean, I was his elder, and he didn't respect me. He just showed up, shat all over my beliefs and annihilated my reality. I lost my temper with him, naturally. I attacked, and he blocked me. I didn't even see the block, or the counter-attack, but I felt the pain from it. I was determined not to give up. He said it himself; I'd be okay in a one-on-one situation. Every time I attacked, he blocked me and slashed me in retribution. Then my health bar went red and fear sank in again._

_“Wait! Stop! Please!” He didn't listen, he didn't stop, he just looked disgusted as he hit me again._

_“Please stop! You'll kill me!” I never would have thought it by looking at him, but Virtual Demon packs one Hell of a punch. When he socked me in the jaw, I thought he broke it off. My health bar started flashing as well._

_“What are you afraid of Nefertiti? I keep telling you: This is just a game! You can't die here! Why do you refuse to understand? If you want to protect your character; fight for it! If not, I'll kill you and reset your stats to Level 1. All those months of fighting and questing will go to waste, all because of your stupidity! I said fight me!” Out of desperation, I struck back. I stabbed Virtual Demon in the heart, wiping out seventy percent of his health in a single blow. I was so shocked by what I did to him._

_“Oh my God! I'm so sorry! I'm so so sorry!” His response was the most surprising one he could have given. Not only did he smile, but he laughed as well._

_“A good hit! That's much better Nefertiti. You've made progress, and started down the right path. Now that you see the world through my eyes, you can conquer it, and live without fear.” I didn't know what to make of that statement at the time, but it ended up changing my life forever, eventually. It has become a core component of my being, and the most prominent reason for why I am the woman that I am today. After the fight, Virtual Demon escorted me not just back to Undine territory, but right to the capital: Asurblå Borgen. Everyone was pretty hostile towards him at first. Well, Spriggans_ are _the most untrusted race in ALO. Some of them backed down when I told them that he'd rescued me, but not everyone believed that. Especially not Perseus, the Undine champion. He wanted to kill Virtual Demon just to be on the safe side. I defended Virtual Demon, fearlessly, and I won. I defeated the Undine champion, a man five times my level, all because I showed no fear no matter how much I was hurt. After that, no-one attacked Virtual Demon. No-one wanted to risk getting beaten by me. While most simply stayed away, a few decided to try talking to Virtual Demon. Some of those even became his friend when they realised he wasn't a bad person. After a while though, he said he needed to log out. He told me that he would be offline for quite some time due to issues IRL. He said he'd be gone no more than eight weeks, and that in that time I should reflect upon his words. I promised him that I would, and that I would eagerly await his return. I had to wait longer for that than I realised though._

_It was the beginning of March 2024 when Virtual Demon had left me. It was almost September of the same year before he returned. I'd been worrying about him for months. He never logged on, never responded to my messages. I thought he had died in the real world. He was pretty evasive at first, stating that complications had cropped up, but after three days of persistence, I finally got a straight answer from him. Well, mostly._

_“Look, I don't really like talking about real life stuff, especially not this. I guess I_ do _owe you an explanation though. I was... undergoing clinical trials for an experimental new drug. After everything they told me, I honestly thought I'd only be gone eight weeks. The thing is, they were wrong. The drug didn't do what it was supposed to, there were nasty side effects as well. In the end, they took me off the drug. Even then, I had to do two months of rehab to undo the damage the drug had done to my system, and then another two months of examinations and check ups to make sure I'd recovered from it properly, that there was no lasting damage, that sort of thing. They're currently looking over the data they collected from me, analysing it, seeing where they went wrong and what they need to do. In all probability though, they'll have to go back to the drawing board. The drug was a failure, end of story.” I was absolutely shocked. An experimental drug? That would have meant he was sick. My fears for him were not allayed._

_“A drug? What drug? Why do you need to take drugs? Are you sick? It's not cancer is it?” He'd waved aside the bombardment of questions pretty patiently, but he never_ did _tell me what was wrong. To this day I still don't know._

_“No, no. Nothing like that. It's nothing serious at all really, they just figured that, because I'm so young, this experimental drug might work on me. They've tried using various drugs on various age groups, I was the first child case they'd encountered before. That's all it was. I'm doing just fine. Fit as a fiddle really, as my grandpa would say. You don't have to worry about me. I'm back now, and I doubt I'll ever leave for that long ever again.” That was all I ever found out from him, and it wasn't really anything that he told me. He always deflected my questions whenever I tried finding out again. Each time, he would assure me that he was perfectly healthy. After a while, I believed him, and stopped asking. He was back, for good it seemed. His skills were pretty rusty at first, but it didn't take him long to get strong again. Once he was back in top form, we started questing together. Just the two of us. It was great. Absolutely fantastic. We were blazing through every quest effortlessly, and I enjoyed every minute of it. He was incredible. His sword skills, amazing as they already were, seemed to just get better and better. No matter what ALO threw at us, Virtual Demon confronted it fearlessly. Even when I was caught in a trap, and he was faced with an Ice Dragon, he didn't hesitate for a second. He soloed the Dragon and saved me from the trap. He was truly incredible. Eventually, we spent enough time together to share our real names. I told him that I was Natalie Peak, and he told me that he was Sora Seiun. A strange name, but a memorable one. He explained that “Sora” meant “Sky”, and that “Seiun” meant “Nebula”. From then on, we were inseparable. We spent weeks together, and it was the happiest time of my life. Because of our friendship and teamwork; the Undine leader Aphrodite, and the Spriggan leader Starlord; opened a dialogue with one another. It was the first time another race had been so civil with the Spriggans, so Sora and I were thrilled with that. We knew things would take time to develop, but it was a start. Things changed soon after this though, when news broke about the SAO Crisis coming to an end._

_When I heard the news, I thought it would be cause for celebration. More than six thousand people who had been comatose for almost two years, had finally woken up. I was happy for them, but Sora... he was strangely distant. His log in times became erratic, and we hardly got to see each other any more. A part of me felt like he was avoiding me. In January of 2025, I was approached by a Sylph called Vander. He told me that he was a friend of Virtual Demon's, and proved it by revealing knowledge of Sora's real name. He apologised for Sora's behaviour, and told me that it would be best to leave him be, for now. He said that Sora would be fine soon enough, but for now he was in a bad way. So I waited. While I waited, I heard news about some crazy Spriggan who'd prevented the Salamanders from interrupting a meeting between the Sylphs and the Cait Sith. Apparently, an attempt had been made on the world tree, and then ALO went offline for a little while. I remember hearing something about RCT getting involved in some shady business, but I only heard rumours. ALO ended up being managed by another company and came back online. Eventually, Sora returned as well. He apologised for acting weird, but he wasn't in any rush to explain his behaviour either. I was fine with that, I knew he would tell me when he was ready to. So, we started hanging out again. For about a week. I'd heard rumours of this floating castle that had appeared over Gnome territory, so I took Sora to see it. He was both curious and excited, like a little kid on Christmas Eve, waiting for Santa Claus. When we arrived in Gnome territory... I was in for the shock of a lifetime. When Sora saw the castle... I've never seen anything like it before. It wasn't a childish scream, it was a soul chilling wail of terror and lament. I've never seen Sora scared before, or ever again since, but in that instance he was beyond terrified. All of the most horrific nightmares combined would fail to cause me as much horror as seeing New Aincrad caused Sora. So great was his terror that his full-dive gear logged him out automatically. After two weeks, Vander returned. He wanted to know what happened. Sora was saying nothing apparently. Vander wanted to see what had petrified Sora so much that he wouldn't leave the real world. I took him to see New Aincrad. Vander said only two words._

_“I see.” He never explained what it was he saw. He only said that he understood now why Sora was so afraid, why he was refusing to dive again. Weeks passed, and occasionally Vander would contact me. Sora was still in a state of shock, but he was speaking again, apparently. In the summer of that year, a new VRMMO came out. Gun Gale Online. Apparently, Sora had started playing that, and was enjoying it, but he was still hesitant about diving. He was refusing point blank to return to Alfheim, so instead, I went to him. While we sat and watched the first Bullet of Bullets tournament, Sora finally opened up to me._

_“That castle, Aincrad: It's from Sword Art Online. I never wanted to see it ever again. I never expected to see it in ALO. That place, to me that place is Hell.” I couldn't understand what he was saying at that time, but that would soon change._

_“What is it? Why are you so afraid of Aincrad?” I honestly didn't expect him to answer. I certainly never expected to hear something so tragic._

_“Because... that castle, that death game: it left me all alone in this world. Before Sword Art, I lived alone with my onē-sama, Akatsuki. We always played RPGs together. When Sword Art came out, she said she was going to check it out and see if it was worth the hype. She logged in... and she never logged out. Akatsuki... she was one of the players killed by that game. Sword Art Online stole the last of my family from me. I've been left alone in this cruel world, for more than two years, because of that death game.” Just as I had never seen Sora terrified before, I had never seen him cry before either. The memory of Akatsuki; his sister, changed that. I understood why he was so fearful of Aincrad. To him, it was some unbeatable monster that slew his sister mercilessly. Seeing it in ALO, must have made him think that it was coming for him now. I consoled him the best I could._

_“Sora; Sword Art doesn't exist any more. That death game has ended. New Aincrad won't hurt you. It_ can't _hurt you. I won't let it. It exists in ALO now, but that doesn't mean anything. You said it yourself: It's only a game. It isn't real. It can't kill you.” He said nothing for the rest of the day. The day after though, I saw him again. In Alfheim. When I logged on, I was told that he had already been playing for six hours straight, fighting non stop. When I tracked him down, he told me that he wanted to become stronger, much stronger, so that he could conquer New Aincrad. He vowed to defeat the Floating Castle and become the strongest player in ALO. I vowed to help him achieve that, and we began working together again. Sora's login times were getting longer and longer, and it was hard for me to keep up, but I made a promise to support him, so I pushed myself to keep it. It didn't take long for our first challenge to come along. The Spriggans and the Undines were finally ready to form an official alliance, and were meeting by the Rainbow Bridge to do so. General Starlord requested that Sora lead the Spriggan Defence Force, and Lady Aphrodite requested that I join the Undine Defence Force. Both groups were to protect the meeting site from any enemy attacks. When they came, there were more than we anticipated. Far more. The Salamanders, the Gnomes, the Imps, the Pooka, the Leprechauns. Five races bringing a total of four hundred warriors. Only the Sylphs and the Cait Sith refused to get involved. It was four hundred, against fifty. That was the best we could manage. I never realised that it would be more than we needed. None of us saw it coming. The sky was full of Faeries, all of whom opposed the alliance, and then Remain Lights started appearing, following in the wake of a chrome blue blur. The Imps and the Gnomes were completely annihilated before any of us even noticed that Sora was missing. He was already tearing through the Leprechauns and the Pooka before they realised they were under attack, and took defensive measures. Sora had taken out around half of the swarm single-handedly. Even so, he wouldn't be strong enough to defeat everyone by himself. The hardest part was getting everyone to snap out of it. I can't say I blame them. We were all so sure that Kirito was the strongest Spriggan. We were so wrong. Sora proved himself to be vastly superior to Kirito. Sora's speed, his skill, his reflexes: all were indescribable, and far beyond our dreams, let alone our expectations of him. The Security Forces eventually managed to get airborne, for all the good it did us. They were pretty useless all in all, but they were the best we could muster. They did a good job of slowing our enemies down, but they were wiped out pretty quickly, leaving just myself and Sora fighting back to back. I'd never been in a combat situation like that before. It was insane. There was no time to think, to try and plan ahead. We could only act and react. For me, that meant taking actions I'd made it a habit of never taking before. I had always had one unwritten rule when fighting other players: Beat the living crap out of them, but never let their HP reach zero. I didn't want to be a Player Killer. I didn't want to reset a player's character to its Level 1 state. In this battle though, I didn't have any other choice. Sora's life was on the line, and even though I knew it was just a game, I was still determined to protect him at all costs. The first twelve to fall to my blade were easy enough, and then I found myself fighting against_ him _. General Eugene. I knew of his strength, his reputation, and his defeat at the Battle of the Valley of Butterflies. He might have possessed the Demonic Sword Gram, but that didn't make him invincible. Kirito had already proven that once. Even so, it was a tough duel. The hardest part was grounding Eugene. In the air, he held the upper hand, so I had to bring him down from the sky. Casting magic was never my strong point, but I kept my composure and pulled it off, blasting the General's wings from his body. On the ground, we were evenly matched overall. We had the same skill at least, but while he had impeccable strength, I had remarkable speed. Getting around his defences, and his lightning reflexes, it took every trick I possessed. In the end, it was recklessness that decided the battle. I took advantage of the Ethereal Shift to wound Eugene heavily. His shock triggered a second of hesitation. A single second was more than I needed to press my attack and finish the job. General Eugene was the thirteenth player to be killed by me. At the same time, Sora decapitated Commander Atari; the Pooka leader. Only the Leprechauns still had a leader, but he was one of three Leprechauns; the others having been killed. Of the four hundred Faeries to attack the summit, only thirty-two survived, fleeing for their lives in the face of two unstoppable warriors. Because of us, the Spriggan-Undine Alliance was formed. After the battle, Lady Aphrodite herself awarded Sora with a Special Commendation for Bravery. He was also appointed Ambassador of the Spriggan-Undine Alliance. I myself was made a Commander of the Undine Military, and the leader of the Defence Force. That night, there was a huge celebration, of our victory over five armies as much as of the new alliance. I spent much of the night avoiding pesky admirers, before running into this strange Undine. I'd never seen her before, and I know I'd remember a name like Asuna. She must have been new, yet there was something about her which made me think she was a veteran. Something about the way she spoke, and the way she carried herself._

_“I hear congratulations are in order, Commander. Never once have I seen so many players defeated by just two of them before. You and Virtual Demon make a formidable duo. I wonder how the two of you would fair in New Aincrad. Perhaps I'll see for myself soon enough.” I tried to keep things casual, and hide my impatience. I really didn't want to talk to Asuna. I was only interested in finding Sora._

_“Maybe. He_ did _say he wants to conquer that floating castle, and I've already made it clear that I'll help him do it. He's the sole reason for this victory today, and the creation of the alliance. It's not just his skill, even though that goes beyond anything I've ever seen before. It's because of him, because of his teachings, that I've become strong enough to beat even General Eugene in a fair fight. Hard to believe, considering he's actually the rookie out of us two.” She didn't seem all that inclined to learn more about Sora, which struck me as strange. She seemed more interested in me, and not in a good way._

_“How are you faring? After the battle I mean. Thirteen players died at your hands today, killed by your sword. I know it was a tough situation, but I wanted to know how you were doing. Killing other players is never easy.” This Asuna person was strange, and I found my patience running out quickly. She was prying for something, but she had a know-it-all attitude that just pissed me off._

_“I fail to see why. This is just a game. People don't really die when you kill them here. Death doesn't matter. So why should it have any effect on me? Why do you care anyway? I don't even know you. At the end of the day, I killed those players to protect Sora. That's all that matters. If they have some sort of grudge against me for resetting their characters to Level 1, then I guess I'll just have to kill them again, and again, and again, until they finally take the hint and back off. I just did what I had to. No-one should have any issues with that. Anyone who does is both an idiot and a child.” I'd hoped that my tone would have made it clear to Asuna that we were done talking, but she still had a little more to say. Her expression was weird when she said it though._

_“If you ever need to talk about it; message me. I know what you went through. I understand it better than you might think. I can help you, if you need me to.” All I could do was roll my eyes and march off with an impatient huff. I'd had enough of talking to the nosey bitch, and I'd finally seen Sora, doing his best to avoid being seen. When I went to his side, he seemed concerned about me as well, for a different reason._

_“Hey, you okay? You look pissed off. Are you getting harassed by newbies as well?” Eager to put a pointless conversation behind me, I forced a laugh, and a smile. It's not that I didn't genuinely want to, but Asuna's strange words were bugging me still._

_“Yeah, something like that. I'm not the one who wiped out more than three hundred soldiers single-handedly. True, I defeated General Eugene in a one-on-one, but I'm not the first to do that. Nor will I be the last, I reckon. Still, doing so has turned me into some kind of celebrity. Many players know that I'm a Speed-type, while General Eugene possesses overwhelming strength.” Sora had had an interesting response to give to that._

_“That's true, and that makes it all the more perplexing that people are surprised by your victory. Speed will always triumph over strength. Being a walking mountain of muscle means nothing if your opponent moves too quickly for you to use that strength. That battle was decided the moment you brought Eugene to the ground. Still, I'm impressed you managed to pull it off. That was a gutsy move, manipulating the Ethereal Shift like that. If you'd hesitated or held back just the tiniest bit, Eugene's attack would have landed, and you would have been in serious trouble. One of the disadvantages to being a specialised Speedster is that you lack defence. With General Eugene's overwhelming strength build, a single hit would probably have killed you. At the very least you'd be flashing in the red. I'm not trying to lecture you or anything, I'm just making sure you're aware of what could have gone down. Losing those poorly trained Security grunts I can live with, but losing a friend in battle is a completely different story. Those guys were expendable, you're not. Still, I doubt we'll ever have to fight a battle like that again. No-one's going to want to. Two players defeating almost four hundred? They'd have to have balls of diamond to try taking the two of us on. Either that or be completely insane.” Sora's remarks earned laughter from me, and this time it was genuine. He spoke the truth, in no uncertain terms. He and I really were the deadliest duo in the game. Together, we were unstoppable. There was no way that any race would dare try to tamper with the newfound Alliance. I stayed by Sora's side for the rest of the night, the two of us hiding from our new fans. Pretty soon, I had forgotten about Asuna's words. For the time being._

_The first six weeks of the Alliance were gruelling. My own new appointments were keeping me busy as it was, but Sora seemed to be getting run ragged. His login times were stretching quickly, so that he would often play for up to twelve hours straight. He would only take very short breaks in between sessions, never more than one hour. He was constantly going back and forth between Spriggan and Undine territory, and occasionally to Alne or Yggdrasiel City at the request of senior officials from both sides. As a result, we never had any time to hang out, or even to exchange emails. It didn't take long for me to become lonely. Sora was a good friend to me, and being separated from him always upset me. This time however, things were... different. In my solitude, I would often find myself reflecting on Asuna's words, and on the thirteen lives I took. There was a kind of exhilaration that accompanied these memories, as I thought about the power I possessed; the power to reset someone to Level 1. The thoughts would disgust me at first, and I used to think about how disappointed Sora would be with me. This was only at first though. Whenever I thought about Sora, I thought about his vow to conquer New Aincrad, and my own vow to help him achieve that. I knew I needed to become stronger in order to help him. I had already heard how difficult New Aincrad was in comparison to the rest of Alfheim. If I was to support Sora properly, I needed to become as strong as possible, as soon as possible. Fighting against mobs, it just wasn't good enough. I was so skilled that I could predict their attack algorithms, anticipating their moves and counteracting them effortlessly. I couldn't get strong that way, so I started to think about targeting players. Those were shocking thoughts to begin with too, but they quickly made sense. Simply fighting a player was no good though. True, PKing is acceptable in ALO, but if I did it too much, I'd draw attention to myself and get into trouble. I needed to be able to attack and kill another player quickly, before they could learn my player name, or else find a way to conceal my appearance, so that I couldn't be identified. The latter option was the one easiest to accomplish, so I started with that. I purchased a Cloak of Walking Shadows from a merchant in Spriggan territory. It took a little practice to get used to fighting while hooded. My hearing was dulled slightly, and my field of vision was greatly affected. Even so, I adapted quickly. Whenever my duties would allow it, I would wander between territories, at that time both hoping and dreading finding a potential target. A part of me didn't want to become a Player Killer, and I hated myself for that. I felt like I would be betraying Sora if I didn't. I had to become as strong as possible in order to support him. On one of my trips, I encountered a lone player. A Pooka, and a fairly low level one at that. I could easily take them in a fair fight, but I wanted to see if I could master the art of stealthy assassination. He was such a rookie that he didn't pay any attention to his surroundings. Sneaking up on him was criminally easy. So easy I began to hate the fool, for practically asking to be killed. He was in the wilderness, where monsters spawn, and he paid no attention to anything around him. Feeling the blade as it carved into his throat was quite satisfying. A single attack was all it took to reduce him to a Remain Light._

_“Be wary of your surroundings you fool. Someone so ignorant doesn't belong in this world.” Watching the Remain Light fade away didn't fill me with as much satisfaction as I expected. The Pooka had been too easy to kill, too stupid. I went in search of greater prey. It was about a week before I succeeded in scoring a worthy kill. A Spriggan Scout. Skilled with a bow, skilled with stealth as well. She was fast, silent, and highly alert. I'm sure she was on to me from the beginning of the hunt, but I wasn't dissuaded. It took three hours of careful pursuit before I was even able to engage. Even then, it wasn't an easy battle. She must have sensed me as I made my move, because she blocked me quicker than I would have thought possible. Even though she only had the bow, she could hold me off well. Her punches and kicks were strong, and on six occasions she stabbed me with an arrow. In terms of speed though, I was the quicker, and I put that speed to good use. I allowed myself to get knocked back, giving her room to try firing an arrow. I'm sure she's a remarkable archer, but she underestimated me. I split the arrow in half, then the bow, and then the Spriggan too. A worthy kill at last, but it highlighted the dire state of my abilities. Not only did my stealth need a lot of work, but I was lacking speed and strength as well. That battle lasted far too long, and could have attracted attention. Whenever I wasn't working or hunting, I was duelling against other players so that I could train myself. Because of my position and reputation, it was easy for me to pass off the duels as simply working hard to avoid disappointing Lady Aphrodite, to avoid letting down Sora as well. No-one ever challenged my reasoning, and I was able to duel against many opponents. I even fought against a few SAO survivors, not that they admitted as much at the time. Lisbeth and Silica were easy opponents for me to defeat. Klein was a skilled swordsman, but too predictable, and too easily fooled by a “cute girl”. Agil was a more formidable opponent, but as Sora said: speed always beats strength. Before long I found myself taking on Asuna and Kirito. Both were truly formidable warriors, with skills I was not yet used to confronting. Asuna's speed was on par with mine, but her strength was a little greater. Kirito on the other hand was considerably stronger than I was, but not as fast. I fared better against him than I did against Asuna, but ultimately both duels ended in a draw. To my surprise, Sora had been there to see both of those last two duels, and he looked so impressed._

_“You've really gotten strong lately, Nefertiti. Even though these were draws, they were draws against two of the best players in ALO. There's not many who can do that. I've got a little free time at the moment; what say you and I duel next?” I'd been surprised by the suggestion, and uncomfortable with it._

_“You? You want me to duel against you? I don't know about that. I don't like the idea of fighting against my friends. Besides, your skills far exceed my own. You wiped out two hundred faeries without any assistance whatsoever. I could never match that.” He had smiled at me ever so mischievously then._

_“You won't know until you try.” Faced with such a grin, I found myself unable to turn him down. To this day; a part of me still resents that. If we hadn't duelled, perhaps things would have turned out differently, but I had accepted his duel. There were many spectators as it was, but when word got out that the Virtual Demon would be duelling with the Undine Sword Queen, suddenly our stadium became inundated with Faeries. Its capacity was exceeded, so many had to watch via the impromptu MMO Now live-stream. We agreed upon a no-flying rule, and set the duel to end once one of us reached zero hit points. Sora had barely waited for the countdown timer to finish before making his first attacks, coming at me with ferocious speed. Despite his skills, my speed stat was higher than his, so I was able to counter his attack, and the countless dozens that followed it. Sora was truly giving it his all against me. He was even dual-wielding. I'd only seen the pair of Wakizashi strapped to his back before. I'd never seen them used in combat, so predicting his actions was next to impossible. Equipping the Sabre was a wise decision on my part. Nothing else would have been suitable for this duel. Even so, Sora had pressed the attack constantly, keeping me on the defensive. Even though my speed was greater, he had the superior strength, and he was wearing me down, exhausting me. It was taking everything I had just to counter him, but I needed to break his relentless assault and buy myself the time to go on the offensive. I recalled the fight against General Eugene, and realised I would need to take a bold and reckless action to get the result I was seeking. I feigned succumbing to exhaustion, letting my defences slip a little and sacrificing a portion of health in order to convince Sora I was being worn out. He took the bait, and aimed to end the duel. At the last second, I attacked, throwing myself onto his swords in the process. I sacrificed half of my health in that manoeuvre, but I also succeeded in catching Sora off guard. I pressed my advantage to its limit; punching, kicking and slashing as quickly as I could. I took Sora down to half health before he put an end to my offence. I've never known a player to headbutt another before, but that's exactly what Sora did, before back-flipping away to earn some breathing room, taking advantage of my dazed state to that end. From then on, Sora played more defensively. He was wary of me, and he wasn't in a hurry to try launching another never-ending chain of attacks. I knew that the battle could only end one way then, but I still tried testing Sora, learning from his impenetrable defences. Every time I went in on the offensive, he would parry me effortlessly and hit me hard. I used every trick up my sleeve, and saw each and every one of them foiled without any difficulty at all. Once my health bar started flashing, I stopped trying to break his defences. I didn't feel comfortable with being killed by Sora, even in a duel, so I resigned instead. The battle was lost, so it was pointless to continue. His expression had been indifferent to the outcome, but his tone told another story, one of awe, admiration and envy._

_“You're strong, Natalie. Remarkably strong. I'm not talking about physical strength either. It's your spirit, your willpower, that is truly strong. In that department, your strength far outstrips my own. Such bold recklessness is something I'm incapable of, but which I'm working towards. Your skills are already admirable. Train them up a little more, and combine them with your strength, then you have the potential to become one of the ten strongest players in all of ALO. How is it you managed to become this strong? I-I want to know that... I-I'm trying... I-I want to be that strong too, you know? Not just to take on New Aincrad. I don't have enough strength for that at the moment, or to find out... what really happened. I need to become stronger. Much stronger. Can you... help me? Help me get stronger? I don't think I can do this by myself. I've been trying but... I'm still too weak.” Sora's response, as his responses usually do, surprised me. I couldn't understand what he was trying to say. He was weak? How? His strength far exceeded my own. He could conquer ALO effortlessly, without my help. I knew he could, and yet he still believed himself weak. It didn't make any sense. It never has, and I doubt that it ever will. My own strength came from him. How can I help him get stronger when he is the reason that I have done so? Even though I didn't know what to do, I still agreed to help him. I felt like it would have been a very bad idea not to. There was nothing we could do at that moment. Sora was called away to attend to some diplomatic matter, so I went to try and clear my head, and to figure out a way to help him. As I wandered, I encountered another lone player. It was such an easy kill that I realised that attacking players I meet by chance was pointless. They were always too weak, too easy to beat. I started to think more logically. When I want to train my stats up, I carefully select the best targets for that, monsters that will grant me the biggest boosts. I applied that same logic here as well. Simply killing random players wasn't helping me to grow stronger, only more frustrated. Whenever I was out of the game, I would browse player rankings. While the Salamanders typically had the strongest players, none of those were especially skilful, barring General Eugene. Fighting him outside of a major battle or a war however was next to impossible. He never went anywhere without his entourage, and I had no intention of attacking a group. I'd be discovered for sure. The most skilled players belonged to the Undines and the Spriggans, it seemed. I compiled a list of targets, rating them by their suspected difficulty. At the top of the list was Kirito and Asuna. If I could kill those two, then I would know that I was strong enough to support Sora no matter what. Choosing my targets was the easy part. Fighting them was the main challenge. I had to monitor them, sometimes for days, figuring out any patterns in their routine. Whenever they went out to hunt monsters or explore the wilderness, I'd strike. My decision to target Spriggans and Undines was a smart one, or so I thought. I realise now that it had been foolish, but I was more headstrong and reckless in those days, prone to lapses in judgement._

_At first, my kills were quite rare, but killing players is addictive, and I came to accelerate my hunting. Soon, I was PKing every other day. Then it was every day. Then it was multiple times a day. Sometimes I would neglect my duties in order to hunt. They didn't need me. Not really. I was just a trophy; something to brag about. I resented that, so I would often skip out and go hunting instead. I could kill up to eight players a day. Unfortunately, my skills weren't sharpening as quickly as I'd hoped, so I couldn't work my way through the list with any real haste. I had to keep killing off players I'd already defeated several times before feeling confident enough to take on the next target. Naturally, word of an excessive PKer got out, and people were mad. They were sick of getting killed by the same player over and over again. I always thought it was quite pathetic. If you don't like dying, stop being weak. They never stopped, and neither did I. I didn't even stop when I heard about the ramifications of my actions. Because some of these players were so strong, and because they were always dying in a few hits at the most; people were suspecting Sora of being the Player Killer. His skill and strength were well known. It seemed plausible that he was the one responsible. They couldn't think of anyone else to blame. That pissed me off, and it's one of the reasons I carried on killing. I wanted to become stronger, so that people would know that I was strong. I didn't know it at the time, but Sora was really under a lot of pressure with this Player Killing Case. It was a threat to the future of the alliance as well, so he had no choice but to work as hard as he could to solve it. I found out later that he would play for up to eighteen hours at a time, trying to catch the true Player Killer. An appeal was made on the ALO forums, asking anyone who had any information about the PKer to report it immediately. Whenever he was offline, he would read those reports in detail. He must have found a common link, because he determined the next target. My next target. His name had been Yozora. He was a Spriggan Commander. Highly skilled, very strong, but not enough so to defeat me. Even so, in the battle, Yozora had damaged my cloak. As I killed him, he destroyed my cloak, exposing my identity, not that he himself saw it. I didn't realise that I had been watched, until it was too late. I turned, to see Lady Aphrodite, forty-four Undine guards, and him: Virtual Demon. At the time, I didn't know why he was unarmed. It was to put the Undines at ease. He wanted to prove that he wasn't a threat, so he had willingly surrendered his entire inventory to them before leading them to me. His weapons, his armour, his potions. Literally everything he possessed was turned over. The look on Sora's face still haunts me to this day. It went beyond shock. I thought that he would incur another accidental logout._

_“It's a lie. It's a lie, right? Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me I'm imagining things, that this is a glitch, or that this is Illusion Magic. It can't be you. It's not you, right? You're not the Player Killer, right? I know, your account's been hacked. That's got to be it, right? It's not really you, is it Natalie? It's not, right?” Sora had seemed like he was begging me to prove him wrong. Like he was desperate to be mistaken. I don't know what I could have said differently in that situation, or if anything else would have made any difference._

_“You asked me how it was I became so strong. This is it. Monsters are no good. Get far enough through the game and you can predict their actions, but people? People aren't so easy to predict. They're reckless, impulsive and illogical. On top of that, they're strong and remarkably resilient. I can become so much stronger fighting against real people. I'm not strong enough yet, but I soon will be. Once I have killed both Asuna and Kirito, then I know I'll be strong enough. I'll be strong enough to help you. I'm doing this for you, you know. I promised I'd help you conquer New Aincrad. I_ will _keep my word to you. No doubt about it. I've got your back, so don't worry about a thing.” There were two very important things I failed to notice as I spoke. The first is that I had been walking towards Sora. The second is how he was reacting to the revelations. That answer came when I told him not to worry. Another side of Sora I'd never seen before emerged at that moment. It was a side of him I never could have imagined existed, so I didn't know how to respond to it. Something inside Sora had clearly snapped, to put it mildly. The first punch, a right hook; for a moment I thought it had taken my head off. Even with the Pain Absorbers, that singular blow was the most painful thing I have ever felt. I tried to protect myself, even calling upon a shield to that end. It made no difference. Sora's ferocity shattered my sword and demolished my shield, and then he went into a frenzy. If someone had told me that he had gone insane at that time, I would have believed it without question. He looked insane, acted insane, even sounded insane. Sora would rant and rave, not pausing to take a breath, merging whole sentences into a single word. The Undines shook off their shock to try and restrain him. They couldn't pull him away from me, so they tried using Paralysis Spells on him. Twenty Undines working in unison, and their spells just weren't working. Oh they hit him, for sure they even slowed him down, but not for long. Sora's untameable wrath was so powerful that it would undo the spells being cast upon him. Eventually, once he had been hit by twenty Paralysis Spells simultaneously, Sora stopped hitting me, and the Undines could drag him away from me. My health bar was almost empty, and I had no strength left to resist my arrest. Once I had been restrained, Sora had collapsed. I was taken back to Asurblå Borgen under armed guard and confined to a cell. I was interrogated repeatedly, but I never answered any questions, not until mine was answered. I wanted to know what had happened to Sora, why he had collapsed. It was all my fault. My killing spree had led to him being suspected of my crimes. He would spend up to eighteen hours a day trying to clear his name, for weeks on end. The strain he was placing upon himself in order to prove his innocence and capture the real culprit was just too much for him to bear for long. That strain, his lack of sleep, and the shock of finding out his friend was a serial killer, it was more than he could cope with. His collapse was due to exhaustion, both physical and emotional. After my arrest, he had been given a leave of absence to recuperate, under a degree of insistence from both Lady Aphrodite and from General Starlord. He was to take at least three weeks out, away from VR entirely if necessary. Not only did he need to regain his strength, but he needed to calm down after his rampage. Knowing that I was responsible for so much grief, I lost the will to resist the interrogations. I told them everything, about my time with Sora, about the training we did together, about our respective vows regarding New Aincrad, and about my determination to become strong enough to uphold my vow. Whatever Lady Aphrodite thought of my explanations, I'll never know. She never said anything. I was put on trial for my crimes. It was only a formality really, and a means of assuring the Spriggans that I really was being appropriately punished for my actions. Sora wasn't present for the trial. All of my requests to see him again were denied. For my crimes, I was exiled from the Undines and banished from their territory. That was just the punishment that Lady Aphrodite sentenced me to. The Moderators also banned me from ALO for ninety days for “extreme griefing,” before warning me that another instance of such behaviour would result in the deletion of my account and a permanent ban from the game. During my ban, I searched for Sora in Gun Gale Online, but I could never track him down. I heard that he missed the third Bullet of Bullets tournament, and the Death Gun Incident. I was glad of that, but it hurt me that I couldn't see him again. I didn't understand why it was hurting me so much, until a year after my exile._

_I'd found him again two months prior, during the fourteenth Bullet of Bullets. We were in the same Qualifier Group, but I was beaten in the semi-finals. Sora went on to win the tournament, his eleventh consecutive victory. The player name he used in that world, Barrett; it was quickly being replaced with his accolade: The Pistol Prince. Once I had found Sora again, I took to following him around, at a distance. I wanted to talk to him, but the memory of his rampage caused me to hesitate, to withdraw from that idea, so I observed him instead. I was eager not to lose sight of him again. I wanted to keep an eye on him, see how he was doing, and see how much stronger he was becoming. Unfortunately, he always seemed to know I was following him, and he kept killing me because of it. Then, after he had won the sixteenth BoB, I followed him as he went monster hunting. He was so focused on them I figured I could get in close. Real close. Well, I did. Trouble is, I got too close. I broke his focus, attracted his attention, and earned his wrath again. Twenty-six head shots, fired with such rapidity that he finished shooting before my health bar finished emptying. That was the seventy-first time he had killed me. As I re-spawned, the light bulb came on. I realised why it was that I wanted so much to see Sora, and why it hurt me not to see him. I realised I had fallen in love with him._

_Once I realised this, I took to following him even more religiously. Some might call it stalking, but I call it being with the one I love, in secret. No matter which game he played or where he went, I would always find him and follow him. On quests, on monster hunts, on casual excursions. Everywhere he went, I went too. Often times, my following him would be beneficial to him. I would protect him from monsters or from other players who were trying to sneak up on him. I would eliminate them, and then he would ungratefully kill me too. I still don't know how he achieved it. I used different player names and wildly different avatars in each game, yet he always recognised me, no matter what. He'd recognise me, and then he'd kill me. I'm still not entirely sure why, but over time I came to enjoy being killed by Sora. The fact that he always knew it was me, the fact that he always seemed to know where I was, it was as though he knew me even better than I myself did. I took that intimate knowledge as a sign of his feelings for me, being hidden behind a Tsundere façade. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't, but I like to think that it was. I had become Sora's shadow, never leaving his side for long. Only when he logged out were we parted. When that happened, I would fill the void of his absence with player killing. I'm not sure any more if I did that because I was bored, or because I enjoyed it. All I know is, I was a prolific PKer. Across the many games I'd played, I'd earned hundreds of thousands of kills, perhaps even millions. So great was my kill count that players were becoming majorly pissed off with me. I had learned from my mistake in ALO, and abided by all Griefing rules. Even so, the players hated me for it, and did the one thing they could think of: they would hire Sora to hunt me down, time and again. He put up a good show of being reluctant to take on the jobs. The fact that he would hunt me though, suggested that he wanted to see me again, even if he couldn't find the words to speak to me. He began to hunt me frequently, whenever he wasn't competing in tournaments such as the BoB that is. He would kill me, violently I must admit, but also quite beautifully. Some may think it strange that I enjoyed being hunted by Sora, but I say that those people are morons. Who wouldn't want to be hunted by a player being revered as the VR Nightmare? Sora was creating for himself a reputation as the world's greatest gamer, and I was the only player that he was actively hunting, on a regular basis. With each death, it felt like we were growing closer to one another. Literally in some cases. I would always try to embrace him as I died over and over again. After a while, his Tsundere side kicked in again, and he would take to engaging me at a distance. He really_ did _know me then, and knew how I felt about him. I maintained my player killing so that he would continue hunting me, continue getting closer to me. This went on for years, a constant cycle of being hunted and killed by my soul mate. In 2029, that reached a climax. I had followed him into Dragon's Reign Online, and even managed to sneak into his guild. I don't know how I managed to enter undetected, but we were together at last. Then we challenged the final chapter, and became trapped. Early on in the siege, Sora had an opening to kill Gra'alkur. I'm not sure why, but I was overcome with an urge to fight him. It was the worst possible time for that. As he moved to engage the dragon, I attacked him. The opportunity slipped through his fingers, because of my reckless impulse. Once more, I was faced with Sora's wrath, but this time there was no-one to stop him. We were alone. There was no-one to stop him from pulling my fingers off and tearing me apart with his bare hands. Sora ripped me to pieces, kicking me from the game in a most sadistic manner. I was outside, and he was stuck inside for a full two weeks. In the time we were separated, I broke down. I almost went insane. Spending so long apart from him after spending years in his shadow, it was torture. I deeply regretted attacking him during the siege, and its consequences. I was heartbroken, being separated from my destined partner. I lost the motivation to kill other players, and I was starting to lose the will to live as well. Eventually, he broke free of that game. I started following him again, but at a greater distance. I couldn't bear facing him after what I had done to him. When he won the Bullet of Bullets tournament for the 500th time in a row, I heard his declaration that he would not play Destiny's Calling Online. I saw that as being a personal challenge directed at me. I was already keen to play the game, suspecting that he would, and had pre-ordered it. I was sure that he would go back on his word though. I knew Sora better than that. He was a renowned solo player, so a game that was supposed to be impossible for solo players would have been a personal challenge aimed at him. He would answer that challenge sooner or later, and I would lure him to me again. I guess that's why I hunt players here as well. I know he's in the game. I saw his battle against Otirik, and against Elric. Only Sora has the ability to defeat those two so effortlessly. So now, I'm trying to reunite with him in this world, the one we are trapped within. I have become a Red Player, knowing full well that, sooner or later, he will come for me again. I will be reunited with my loved one._

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**March 3rd 2030 – 1018 JST**

Nephthys blinks at the archway before her. _I'm back at Kraler? It's amazing how my legs can take me anywhere on autopilot while my mind wanders_. She shrugs, and ambles through the streets, wending her way towards the inn. As she wanders through the market, she hears a concerned voice, and a name that grabs her attention with an iron grip.

“Are you _sure_ you're alright Sora? You still look a little pale. We can always delay another day. I know we want to clear this game as quickly as possible, but I won't push on if you need rest.” Nephthys looks over, seeing the familiar Hellborne, smiling at an Elven Archer, the gesture nauseating Nephthys. Sora places a hand on Sinon's shoulder, reassuringly, evoking jealousy from their spectator.

“I'm alright Sinon, I promise. It was... a rough nightmare, but I've had worse. Far far worse. If we delay another day, it'll just occupy my mind entirely, and that won't end well. I'm emotionally fragile at the moment. As much as I hate to admit that, it's the truth. These thoughts would destabilise me, and I refuse to think about what'll happen then.” Both Sinon and Nephthys look at Sora sadly. _He's upset about something? Something that haunts him relentlessly, even while he sleeps. It has made him emotionally fragile. It pains me to see him hurting, but if I go to comfort him now, it won't be the fairytale moment I long for. There's always a chance that he'll recognise me, and become angered once more. I don't want to see him angry. I want to see that radiant, mischievous smile of his._

“Was it... about her? Your sister?” Sora shakes his head firmly, looking faintly irritated. Nephthys growls in irritation as well. _That bitch knows about Akatsuki? What in the Hell did she do to ply that information from him? What heartlessness she displays as well, in bringing that up so readily. I know all too well how painful a subject that is for Sora, and yet she speaks of it as casually as one speaks of the weather. Bitch!_

“No it wasn't, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't bring her up in public. Sorry, I didn't mean to snap. It's a sore subject still, and I fear it always will be. No, the nightmare... the nightmare was about... about all the people I killed. I can see all their faces, even now, and I can see their blood staining my hands. I know what you're going to say: I did what I had to do. It was the lesser of two evils. That sort of thing. That may be true, but it doesn't make things any easier. No matter how you justify it, I've still killed fifty-two people. Last night, they visited upon me, cursing me, haunting me, tormenting me. A part of me wanted to join them.” To his surprise, and that of Nephthys, Sinon hugs him tightly. Nephthys snarls at this, grinding her teeth. _Get your shit-stained hands off of my soul mate you venereal whore! You're not even worthy of knowing his name! You don't have the right to touch him! I swear, I will rip out your heart with my bare hands you wretch!_

“That is something I respect and admire about you, Sora. Your remorse, your compassion, and your honesty. That you have these feelings is proof that you are a good person, perhaps even the best in the world. Even so, I don't like what these feelings are doing to you. The desire to join those people? I won't allow it. The victims of those you killed wouldn't want that either. Even the Red Players themselves would resent you more for joining them before your time. Atone for your actions, don't run away from them. I understand that it must be painful for you, unbearable even, but you must stay strong and keep moving forwards. Good things have come about from what you did. As hard as it may be, you need to focus on that. Every day, at any given moment; someone is making the decision to sacrifice a small number of lives in order to save many more. That has been the way of the world for centuries. It was just a cruel twist of fate that led to you making that decision here, on more than one occasion. If you join those who died, then their deaths will have no meaning. _That_ , more than taking their lives to begin with, is the worst thing you can do to them. Give their deaths meaning, Sora. Do that, and you'll find the faces of those people will torment you less and less. Just don't forget about them. It's wrong to forget about the people we've killed. Kirito taught me that.” Nephthys has a look of confusion at this. _What is she talking about? The players he killed? So what? Everyone PK's at some point. We don't ever feel bad about it. It's just a part of the game. So why is she treating it like reality? That's wrong. You won't die IRL if you die here. It's only a game_. Sora seems hesitant as well.

“You... think I can give their deaths a meaning? You think that that will ease my lament? I don't know how though. I don't know how to atone for the lives I took, the people I killed. This isn't something I've ever done before. I never had to apologise for my actions in a Bullet of Bullets tournament. I've never felt remorse for wiping out the armies that tried to prevent the Spriggan-Undine Alliance. Now that the rules have changed, now that this is no longer just a game, I don't know what to do with myself. I don't know how to do the right thing and amend all of my wrongs.” Nephthys' confusion deepens. _Now Sora is doing it as well? Has he forgotten what he taught me? Has he forgotten that this is just a game? I'll admit, being unable to logout is a shock, but this isn't the first time for Sora, or myself for that matter. So why is Sora acting like this is reality? He of all people should know that this a game, not reality_. Sinon tightens her embrace, just a little.

“Try not to dwell on it too much for now. You _will_ figure out how to give their deaths meaning. I'll help you to that end. It isn't as though my hands are completely clean either. I'll look after you, and help you to the best of my ability. Just promise me that you won't give up.” Sora nods.

“Okay. I promise.” Nephthys rolls her eyes at this. _I don't know what's worse: The fact that this disgusting bint is rubbing her dirty tits all over my husband, or the fact that she's manipulating him by doing so_. As she glares at Sinon, Nephthys realises that there is something very strange about the cloak that the Elf wears. She runs an Analysis check to confirm her suspicion, and receives a greater surprise than she expected. _Holy mother of God! That diseased street-walker is wearing an Astral Cloak! I could buy a hundred mansions with that thing! That settles things then; I'll kill that damn slut and take her cloak. I wonder what else she has? What about the rest of her guild too? Are they all carrying such valuable items? I'll need to contact the others. We'll need to work together to grab this mountain of treasure. Sora will undoubtedly try to protect them, and I can't take him down alone in a fair fight, or an unfair one for that matter_. Nephthys continues to observe Sora and Sinon as they separate from one another, ending the embrace. Sora seems somewhat ill at ease.

“Well, we should head back. There's nothing more I can do here. No new weapons worth my money, or armour for that matter. I sold off a few of my less useful weapons, but I'll hold onto the others, mainly the ones I forged myself. Even if they deal little damage, that much durability is not something to discard lightly. I'm about as ready to take on the Tower of Kraler as it's possible for me to be, without wasting more time that is. Our levels are all high enough, so the Tower shouldn't be that much of a problem, in theory. I said the same about yesterday's quests though. Well, we'll just have to take things as they come, I guess.” Sinon nods.

“I think you'll be proven right anyway. Based upon the reports you sent out last night I mean. That all sounds quite plausible. The only uncertain variable is the Boss. Your leading theory was a Wraith or other high level Ghost-type monster. That's a likely possibility, but I'm inclined to think that it might be some kind of Homunculus or other Guardian-type monster. Ghost-type monsters will be very difficult to defeat at this stage of the game. I know DCO is supposed to be hard, but not _that_ hard. It would take a high level Light-burst or Spirit-burst weapon to bring down a Wraith. We can't buy those yet, and I highly doubt any of the blacksmiths can forge that yet either. Can you do that?” Sora shakes his head.

“No, I can't. Forging a -burst weapon is difficult enough as it is. There's only a handful of elements I can infuse into my weapons, and none of those are Light or Spirit. A Homunculus is more readily attackable, but they're harder to kill over all than a Ghost-type monster. Homunculus are heavily armoured monsters. They have resistances against most attacks, and they're immune to projectiles. If we're up against one of those, we'll have to rely heavily on Agil, Cassandra and Yui. No-one else has the power to get through that much armour plating. Not really anyway. I have a few Sword Skills that can pierce defences, but they're not especially reliable. Against a Homunculus, you want skills that always pierce defences, not ones that occasionally do that. If the Boss is a Homunculus, then we're in for a long fight. It'll be a battle of attrition, really. We'll have to wear it down, break apart its armour, force a weak spot into existence and then exploit that weak spot. That's going to be rough indeed, but we can do it. Eventually. Those two are the worst case scenarios though. I'm hoping it will be a Demon-class monster, an Angel-class monster, or else some form of Spellcaster. Even though those are all still quite difficult, they're still much easier to defeat than a Wraith or Homunculus. I also have no way of knowing how many bosses there'll be. Floor 100 of Aincrad had seven bosses, all extremely high level. It's possible we could be up against a Swarm-type Boss, or some kind of Demonic couple, or a family of Shadow monsters. I want to be able to prepare for any eventuality, but there are so many it's difficult for me to do so. The Boss fight is going to be decided by my instincts more than anything else. I know I promised you that I'd try to use logic more than my instincts, but against an unknown such as this, I don't see any other choice. Not unless the Tower holds some kind of clue that is.” Sinon thinks for a moment, looking a little troubled.

“You might be right about that. Well, we'll certainly search the Tower thoroughly for clues about what may await us. If none exist, then we'll just have to trust your instincts. An easy enough task for myself and Yui. I believe Agil trusts your judgement as well, and Suguha too. The others on the other hand seem somewhat doubtful still. None more so than Asuna. I think I understand where she's coming from though. She's determined to protect Kirito above all others. Even though she trusts his skill and strength, he still rates as her top cause of anxiety, mainly because of his reputation for getting into trouble. With you being an unknown variable, Asuna is concerned that you will be a threat to Kirito's safety, in one form or another. Until she realises that you're not a threat, she'll continue to suspect you. It doesn't help matters that you're keeping secrets, but there's nothing we can do about that really. Unless you bring yourself to the brink of death in order to protect only Kirito, she'll suspect you for quite some time to come. I'll do my best to make sure nothing bad comes of it, but I've gotten to know Asuna quite well, so I know problems are bound to crop up. Well, anyway, I suppose there's nothing that can be gained from wondering what might or might not happen. If we're going to take on the Tower, then we should leave as soon as possible.” Sora nods, but says nothing more. He and Sinon leave the market area, Nephthys staring after them. She steps out into the open for a moment, just as Sora glances back over his shoulder. Nephthys meets his gaze for a fraction of a second, before casually strolling away, making it seem as though she is just another customer perusing the market stalls. _So, Sora and his guild are planning on challenging the Tower of Kraler are they? This could work to our advantage. No-one has made it past the first floor, so if we time it just right, we could stand to gain a thousand king's ransoms in treasures. The Tower will undoubtedly weaken them, exhaust them, and drain them of potions and supplies. I learned the art of hunting from Sora himself. I know his tactical mind better than anyone. He knows that his guild will make it to the Boss Room, and no matter what, he'll defeat the Boss as well. I have to stop him from entering that room. He'll be at his weakest in the antechamber. That's where he'll want to stop for a time, regain his breath and his composure, before the final battle. That's where we_ must _fight him. Before then, and he'll be too strong. After then, and he'll teleport out. Another opportunity will be on the distant horizon. There is only one opportunity. I will be the one to incapacitate Sora. I needn't kill him. The thing about being a Rogue is that I can steal items from living players as long as they're unable to stop me. I'll paralyse him instead, wound him severely, and leave him and his guild defenceless. Without Sora, they're as good as dead. He's the only one who can save them. I'm stronger than Kirito now, and faster than Asuna. I can defeat them both, kill them both, and loot their possessions. Once they are dead, I'll kill the harlot as well. Whoever remains after that will fall prey to my comrades. We must move quickly however. Sora will march on the Tower within the next half hour_. Nephthys opens up her Friend list, and scrolls down to a player by the name of JB Fumetsu. She opens up the message window, and writes out a short message.

“Target of opportunity heading for Tower of Kraler. Departure within 30. Full guild required.” Only a few seconds pass between her sending the message and receiving a reply.

“What _kind_ of opportunity?” Nephthys hesitates a moment. _I don't really care about who gets_ that _, just as long as I'm the one to kill the bitch_.

“An Astral Cloak kind of opportunity. Player name is Sinon. I don't care who gets the cloak, but I'll be the one to take her head off.” There is a slight delay in the response, and JB Fumetsu's scepticism is tangible.

“An Astral Cloak? This early on? You had better not be lying. Rendezvous behind the ruined chapel. We'll talk more there.” Nephthys starts walking at a hurried pace, heading north as quickly as she can without drawing attention to herself. She fails to spot Sora standing in an alleyway, talking to a girl with white cat ears and tail. She just marches through town and to the outskirts, where a dilapidated building stands, just about. As she heads around the chapel, she sees four more players converging on the far side. When she reaches there, she sees fourteen players gathered. A tall man wearing a skull-like mask turns to face her.

“Tell them what you told me Nephthys, and make sure that it is the truth.” Nephthys stands firm, and addresses the group.

“In town, I saw a player by the name of Sinon. She's an Elven Archer of surprisingly high level, given how long the game has been live. What's even more shocking is the cloak that she wears. It's an Astral Cloak.” There are gasps all around. A sceptical voice cries out.

“Bullshit! No-one can have an Astral Cloak so soon! That's one of the ten best armour items. You must be mistaken!” Nephthys shakes her head.

“I'm not. I ran an Analysis Check and confirmed it. She _is_ wearing an Astral Cloak. I don't know how she got it, but she did. My only theory is that she got lucky with a Super Rare item drop. That Cloak alone is immensely valuable, but imagine what else she could be carrying. Not only that, but she's part of a guild. What if they've all got Rare and Super Rare items? We could make a fortune from them.” A short girl with fiery red hair speaks up.

“How do you plan on killing someone who's wearing an Astral Cloak? That's even assuming you're telling the truth. For the sake of argument, we'll say you are, so what's your plan? How're you getting past the cloak?” Nephthys draws out a curved knife, the blade glowing with a deep purple hue.

“Astral Cloaks offer no resistance against Psionic powers or weapons. I'll kill her with this Lancinating Mind Cleaver.” The man with the skull mask speaks again.

“It sounds like you have this under control. What do you need the rest of us for?” Nephthys sheaths the knife.

“She isn't alone. She has a number of skilled players in her guild. I heard her speak of Kirito, Asuna and Agil. I've encountered all three in ALO, and know of their skills.” The man hesitates at this.

“Oh? So the Black Swordsman has found his way to this world as well. That's very interesting. Above all else, I want to kill Kirito myself. I owe him that much. That meddling child has caused me many problems in the past, it's about time I returned the favour. Who else is there? You wouldn't request so many players for just those three.” Nephthys nods.

“You're right. There is at least one more player affiliated with this Sinon, but there could be more as well. The biggest threat however is the player who was with her whilst I listened in on their conversation: Virtual Demon.” Most of the gathered players gasp in shock. The red haired girl looks a little fearful.

“The VR Nightmare? _Here_? We're screwed! We can't fight him! I know of his strength personally. I fought against him in Alfheim and Gun Gale. He annihilated me without any effort. No-one can defeat him! It's impossible!” Nephthys shakes her head.

“It's _not_ impossible. Have you forgotten who I am? Who I was in ALO? I was Nefertiti. I fought alongside Virtual Demon to ensure the formation of the Spriggan-Undine Alliance. He taught me everything I know, and I've learned new tricks since then. I'm the only one who can stop him, but we'll have to play this very carefully. One wrong move and Sora will kill us all. If there are no wrong moves however, then he will be powerless to stop us as we wipe out his guild and take everything of value.” The man in the skull mask looks at her curiously.

“You really think you can kill him?” Nephthys shakes her head.

“Kill him, no. I can't do that. Nor do I need to. I just need to stop him interfering, and that I _can_ do. I can paralyse him, before eliminating Sinon. You've been to the Tower, haven't you JB? Do you know it's layout?” The man in the skull mask hesitates again, before navigating his menus. He brings up a map of a formidable tower.

“This is the Tower of Kraler. It's design is pretty simple really, with one catch: It's a floating tower. A switch over the main entrance can make the staircase leading up to it appear or disappear. Currently, the staircase is present. There are five floors to the Tower, and a total of six rooms. The first floor is the largest. Floors two, three and four are all identical to one another. Floor five is separated into the Boss Room and a smallish antechamber. There are windows and arrow slits all around, so vision shouldn't be a problem. I have no information on the Boss Room however.” Nephthys studies the map carefully.

“I see. Then I know what needs to be done. For this plan to work, we need to divide into two teams. Team One will enter the Tower and ascend to the antechamber. Avoid battle as much as possible. Use Invisibility Spells and Cloaks to slip past the monsters. Team Two will wait outside the Tower, where the staircase will have been hidden. When Sinon's guild arrives, we'll state that we were trying to follow another guild into the Tower, but that they removed the staircase. We'll pretend to be concerned, which will drive Virtual Demon's protective nature. He hates seeing innocent players getting hurt, so he'll be keen to rush through. When his guild enters, Team Two will go invisible and stalk Sora's guild. We'll follow them to the antechamber. When we get there, Team One will need to be fighting monsters. Make it look as though you're struggling. Sora's defences will be down, and that's when I'll strike. I'll paralyse him and attack Sinon before anyone can react. Once Sora is incapacitated, end the façade and engage his guild. Asuna is remarkably fast, while both Kirito and Agil are brutally strong. Be wary of that. We'll crush the guild, take every possession they own, and then warp out. As long as you all stick to the plan and don't slip up, we'll soon be filthy rich.” JB Fumetsu nods.

“It's a good plan. As long as no-one drops the ball, we'll profit from a flawless victory. I will lead Team One. I assume you'll be leading Team Two?” Nephthys nods.

“That's right. I need to observe Sora as he battles, first and foremost. If he has some kind of item or ability that warns him about invisible foes or attacks from behind, then the plan will fail. I intend to strike from behind, stabbing him in the back of the neck with a Gordal'syah Dart. Paralysis will be instantaneous, and will last for thirty minutes. From there, I have to attack Sinon before even Sora realises that he has been paralysed. Once you see that she is being attacked, that is when you break the act and make your move. Leave Sinon to me. I don't care who gets her possessions, I just want to be the one to kill her.” JB nods.

“That's fine by me, as long as I'm the one to kill Kirito. Three of my comrades are dead because of him. Many more were imprisoned. I owe it to them to send that bastard to Hell.” Nephthys nods again.

“He's all yours.” JB smiles maliciously.

“Then let's move out. We need to reach the Tower before our prey does. It's show time!” As the group marches towards the Tower, Nephthys glances at JB. _There's something off about him. When he speaks of his comrades being dead, I can tell that he means they're really dead. I haven't heard of Kirito killing anyone who didn't then re-spawn, so that only leaves one option: Both he and JB came from Sword Art Online. That explains their skills then, and that of Agil and Asuna. They spent two years living inside a game, that kind of experience doesn't just vanish. So Kirito killed three players, and their brains were fried by the microwave pulse. Were they in rival guilds or something? There's a lot I don't understand about SAO, and about JB. Since the day I met him, he's always been a ruthlessly skilled Player Killer. He always uses knives as well. Even in Gun Gale, he uses knives. I wonder why that is?_

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**March 3rd 2030 – 1042 JST**

While Nephthys navigates her inventory, switching out items and weapons, changing her armour and readying potions, she hears voices in the distance. Too faint to make out, but the voices are getting louder. Her heart flutters as she recognises Sora's voice. It is a few more minutes before his words become distinguishable, advising his comrades.

“...they can be pretty tenacious at times, but they're sluggish and stupid, so they shouldn't provide any problems. Just watch out for their clubs. As slow and moronic as they are, Dungeon Trolls are strong, almost as strong as the Cave or Mountain variety. One good hit could knock you into the red. Being Trolls, they're weak to light-type attacks. Fire is pretty effective too. There's probably going to be Element Skulls of some description here, most likely Flame Skulls or Shadow Skulls. The latter are the more powerful, but the former can set you on fire, which you don't want either. Use water, ice and earth-type attacks on the Flame Skulls, and Light or Spirit-type attacks on the Shadow Skulls. Don't brawl against them though. Element Skulls should be duelled against, unless you can range them. Watch their movements carefully and be ready to dodge their breath attacks. I think that about covers all the monsters we're liable to fight against. I wouldn't rule out Spiders, but to be honest, I doubt we'll encounter any. Towers like this are a bit small for their liking. Caves, forests, canyons, and castles. Those are the most likely places to encounter Spiders.” Nephthys sees a Lycan struggling to understand this information, yet he decides to ask a question anyway, seeming hopeful about something.

“What about Slimes? We're not fighting those are we?” Sora shrugs.

“Unless QZR Studios added new Slimes to the pre-existing roster, we won't be seeing any slimes. They're strictly cave monsters. They tend to avoid man-made structures. Well, except for sewers.” The Lycan looks relieved to hear this. A blonde-haired Elf notices Nephthys and her comrades, and nudges Sora.

“Is that another guild? I didn't realise anyone else was taking on the Tower. I thought they'd all be hesitant after what happened to the last one.” Sora shrugs again.

“It could be one of the guilds pushing on for the Tower of the Gods. We're all eager to get back to reality as quickly as possible. I wouldn't be surprised if there was another guild already inside the Tower. Or, maybe we've got the wrong end of the stick. I guess the only way to find out is to talk to them.” Sora and the others come to a stop before Nephthys. Sora takes a step forwards, smiling warmly.

“Morning! Are you here to take on the Tower as well?” Nephthys fights her fluttering heart to maintain an expression of anxiety.

“That was the original plan, but another guild beat us to it. They entered the Tower, and removed the staircase so that we couldn't follow. My companions and I were trying to figure out how to get up to the entrance. It's strange though.” Sora raises an eyebrow.

“That the staircase was removed?” Nephthys hesitates a little.

“Well that is also strange, but it wasn't what I was thinking. No, what I was getting at was... well I mean, the other guild hasn't been inside the Tower long. Maybe fifteen minutes at the most. But... don't you think it's a little quiet? I can't hear any battles. It's possible that there aren't any monsters, but if _that_ was the case, then how did the Shadow Wolf Guild get defeated? Something's wrong here, and I'm worried about the others.” Sora seems to be following her train of thought perfectly.

“You're worried that they were taken out already, or else that they're about to be. If you don't mind, my companions and I will head in next. If this other guild is still alive, we'll lend them a hand. If not... well we'll soon find out.” Nephthys acts confused.

“Well sure, you can go ahead, but how? The staircase was removed.” Sora turns to a blue-haired Faerie, smiling mischievously.

“Hey Asuna; I'll give you twenty-five thousand gold coins if you reach the entrance before me.” Asuna frowns at this.

“What are you talking about? You can't fly, so how can I lose?” Sora's smile broadens.

“So is that a 'no' on the race?” Asuna glances at a raven-haired Vampire, seeking approval. The Vampire nods encouragingly.

“Twenty-five grand could help us out a lot. There's no harm that I can foresee either way, so why not?” Asuna shrugs.

“Alright then Nebula, you're on. If you're so keen to give up the money, I'll be sure to take it from you fair and square. I'll go summon the staircase for you. You can pay me at the top, right?” Asuna takes off, flying towards the Tower's entrance. Sora winks playfully at a blue-haired Elven Archer, before dashing towards a catapult that faces the Tower. He vaults onto the arm, hurling a rock at a lever on the side. The arm swings up fast enough to buck the war machine, making it jump off the ground. Sora is launched at the Tower, sending him hurtling past Asuna. As he rockets towards the grand double doors, Sora raises his right hand.

“Golyfua Surilia!” His hair and cloak ripple violently as a fearsome gale buffets him, slowing his approach. Even so, Sora still slams into a lever above the doorway. As he drops down, he pulls the lever, and a grand marble staircase fades into existence. Asuna lands at the top of the staircase, looking sour. As the others climb up to join them, Asuna starts navigating her menu, only to be stopped by Sora.

“I only said that I'd pay you if you won. I never said anything would happen if you lost. This was just a bit of fun, not a serious competition. When one of _those_ comes around, I'll be crystal clear when naming the stakes.” Asuna falters, seeming a little confused.

“... O-Okay... I guess if that's what you want to do. It's just a little... weird, that's all.” Sora shrugs.

“Well, that's probably because _I'm_ a little weird. Anyway, let's go. If there's another guild inside, we need to make sure they don't die. If not, we need to find out what happened to them. Either way, we need to enter the Tower.” Sinon takes the lead, and the others follow. Just before entering the Tower, Sora turns back and throws up a victory sign at Nephthys, smiling boyishly again, making her heart sing once more. She shakes herself, and turns to her comrades.

“Alright, let's move.” The others nod in unison. Some whisper inaudible incantations, others don cloaks. Whatever they do, all players turn invisible and race up the staircase, slipping into the Tower just before the doors swing shut. They see that Sora and his companions are already in an intense battle. Kirito, Suguha and Klein fight against a cluster of Kobold Soldiers, while Sora, Agil and Asuna tackle ferociously feral wolves. Sinon, Yui and Cassandra stand apart from the brawls, lending assistance whenever they can, but focusing mostly on giant Bats and on Flame Skulls. The air is filled with bestial snarls and howls, war cries, and incoherent shouting. Sora seems to be faring best of all as he fights using a fairly uninteresting short sword and a hatchet. He barely has to do anything at all in order to defend against the wolves. As fast as they are, Sora is capable of moving faster, sidestepping their attacks and avoiding being hurt. Nephthys watches him intently. _To think that this was once a player who struggled to fight against even a single wolf. Now he can take on a pack of them, and make it look entirely effortless. He doesn't seem to be doing much to actually fight them however. He's letting Asuna and Agil make the kills instead, allowing them to earn more experience and level up faster. While he is sacrificing Character Levels by doing this, he is also gaining Build Stat Levels. Sora has always been capable of levelling up quickly, so this system is the best method for him. He's allowing his comrades to catch up to his level, without stagnating his own abilities. That is exactly his style of thinking. He might be a solo player most of the time, but when he's in a guild, he does what he can to make sure he doesn't leave them too far behind_. As Sora sidesteps a wolf that lunges for him, slashing it as it passes, the wolf changes targets. It charges through the chamber, weaving between Yui and Cassandra's spells, aiming for Sinon. The Elf is facing the other way, targeting a Bat the size of a Heron. Yui calls out as the wolf pounces.

“Sinon!” She spins around to see the wolf lunging for her, jaws wide open, paws outstretched. Sinon tries to evade, even knowing that she won't escape injury. As the wolf bears down on her, its hot, pungent breath burning her nostrils, it jolts in mid-air, being shoved aside with a yelp. Sinon sees the hatchet buried deep into the wolf's ribs as it slams into the stone floor, and disintegrates. Sora retrieves his hatchet, twirling it around his fingers.

“It's a good thing I've got your back Sinon, or that wolf would be gnawing on you right about now.” Sinon turns to face Sora, just as he is smashed off of his feet by a giant Bat. The hatchet flies out of his hand again as he gets knocked onto his back. The Bat dives upon Sora again, only to be intercepted by a flaming arrow. The Bat screeches as it bursts into brilliant flames that quickly consume it. Sinon picks Sora up off the floor, returning his hatchet to him once more.

“And it's a good thing I've got yours too, or else that Bat would be draining your blood like there was no tomorrow.” Both of them snort with laughter at this.

“We're like two peas in a pod.” Nephthys snarls at the scene before her. _Don't get too full of yourself you stupid whore! You're not worthy of Sora's attention. You don't deserve to have him even acknowledge your existence. You're worth less than dog shit. Sora would have killed that Bat in a single hit. He doesn't need your help to survive. He doesn't need you at all. You're useless to him!_ Klein notices their laughter as he duels against four Kobolds whilst simultaneously trying to evade fireballs being spat at him by a Flame Skull.

“If you two are done flirting, do you think you could get back to fighting? Some of us could use a little help!” Sora sighs dejectedly at this. Sinon pats him on the shoulder reassuringly.

“It's alright. He's just jealous of you is all. Show him what your made of.” Sora nods, opening up his inventory. He swaps the hatchet for another short sword, this one featuring a serrated edge and a faint orange glow. Sora propels himself forwards like a bullet, firing himself at the Kobolds harassing Klein. In an instant, two of the Kobolds are thrown back a dozen metres, bursting into furious flames. A single second later, and the other two Kobolds are beheaded in the same swing. Sora is already charging the Flame Skull, showing no signs of having any intention of dodging the fireball hurtling for his face. He scatters the fireball with his serrated sword, before gouging at the Flame Skull's left eye. Sora keeps going, overshooting the Skull, only to jump up at the wall and kick off from it. He spins himself in mid-air, slashing the Flame Skull four times in passing. It disintegrates as Sora lands lightly on his feet. He doesn't sit around. As soon as he lands, two Bats swoop at him. Sora charges back into battle, leaping at the Bats. He foot-stools off of one to kick the other in the face. He somersaults, bringing his sword down upon the first Bat, stabbing it in the back and through the heart. Without looking, Sora slashes the other Bat twice with the serrated sword, cleaving the wings off. The Bat crashes into the floor, being killed by the impact. Sora reverses his grip on his swords before dashing away, towards Kirito and Suguha, and the dozen Kobolds forming a Shield Wall. The two of them hack and slash at the shields to no avail, while a trio of Fire Skulls prevent them from jumping over by spitting fireballs at them. As the pair tries again, charging the Shield Wall, they hear Sora shouting.

“Move aside newbies!” Kirito and Suguha dive aside on reflex just as Sora rushes up in between them, his left and right sword glowing orange and blue respectively. He throws himself at the centremost shield, spinning counter-clockwise at the same time. He slashes the shield with his left hand sword first, then the right hand. He makes four revolutions, and a total of eight attacks. On the fifth strike, a burst of flames erupts, and the shield glows red hot, earning a whimper of pain from the Kobold. On the eighth strike, the shield becomes coated with frost for a fraction of a second, before shattering, exposing a shocked Kobold. The three Flame Skulls concentrate their attacks on Sora, who reacts faster than the vulnerable Kobold, who is lifted skywards by the kick to the chin as Sora back-flips. The fireballs vaporise the Kobold, buying Sora the time to make his next moves. He thrusts a palm at the closest Flame Skull.

“Kahkrillos!” As the Thunder-burst Spell blasts the Flame Skull, Sora strikes the shield of the Kobold to his left with a vicious roundhouse kick. He pivots, using his momentum to press his attacks, sweeping the ground with his left leg and tripping the Kobold, while the Thunder-burst Spell shocks the other two Flame Skulls, paralysis icons appearing next to their health bars. Sora is already on the move at this stage, thrusting his right hand sword through the heart of the tripped Kobold whilst lunging forwards with the left hand sword, pushing it through the skull of another Kobold. With a series of four rapid slashes, the last three Kobolds that made up the left side of the Shield Wall perish. A fireball streaks past Sora, quite far off course, as the first Flame Skull recovers from its shock. Sora marches purposefully towards the remaining six Kobolds as they struggle to reform the Shield Wall, raising his left hand at the Flame Skull as he does so. A blade of wind cleaves the Flame Skull in two and another blade erases the two paralysed Skulls. Both of Sora's swords glow silver as he prepares another Sword Skill, before launching himself at the shambolic Shield Wall. His slashes are as devastatingly powerful as they are blindingly fast, and in just six blows; the shields shatter like glass. On the final strike, a high-pitched shriek reverberates through the air, assaulting the eardrums of everyone in the chamber. The armour of the Kobolds crumble into dust, and several of their weapons are likewise disintegrated. The stained glass windows shatter, and the stone floor cracks and splinters before the shrieking stops. Silence lasts for only a second at the most before the song of steel starts anew as Sora dices the six defenceless Kobolds before him. Only three wolves and a Bat remain, and they all target Sora, attacking simultaneously. Sora skewers the Bat and beheads one wolf while dodging the other two wolves. The first of these lunges for Sora again, only to have a sword thrust into its throat and another into the heart. Sora grabs the last wolf in his hands, and snaps its neck with a single ferocious twist. He retrieves his short swords, before turning on Klein.

“Are you satisfied now? I've helped you out just as you requested. Of course, the only one who benefits from that is me. I got all the kills, so I'll get all the XP. I wasn't holding back out of laziness, I was holding back so that you and the others could level up faster and not be left behind. If you truly want me to stop holding back, that can always be arranged. I can unleash the full potential of my abilities. All future fights will be over in an instant, but the problem with that is that I'll be the only one levelling up. So what are you going to do if, for example, we're in the territory of Level 50 monsters and I get killed? If I'm the only one levelling up, then that means you'll all be left up shit creek without a paddle. You won't last long against a pack of Level 50 monsters when you're all in the 20s. When I stop holding back, I only go one speed. If you can't keep up you'll be left behind, and you'll die. It's inevitable. That's why I've been holding back: for your sake. You're no good to anyone if you're dead. So what's it going to be? Do you want to use my strength, or do you want to become that strong yourself? You'd best make your decision now. If I'm to do all the fighting here, then I'll want to get started right away, and level up as quickly as possible.” Klein baulks in the face of the question, avoiding Sora's piercing gaze. Nephthys becomes concerned as she feels Sora's irritation wash over her. _Something's wrong here. Sora's never been like this before. He's never had any issues with being the only player in a guild to do the fighting. In fact, he usually prefers it that way, since the other guild members would just be getting in his way. I've never seen him hold back so extensively before. Even though he said he wasn't doing it for that battle, I know he still was. He could have finished the battle in a quarter of the time at least. Even when he's cutting loose, he's still restraining himself. I've never seen that before either. He's never had any qualms about demonstrating his power. For him to be doing so now can only mean one thing: His guild doesn't know who he really is. Well, the slut seems to, but the others definitely don't. There's no mistaking that_. Sora's outburst has caught the others by surprise, the coldness of his voice cutting into them. Suguha finds her voice first.

“What's gotten into you? You've never been like this before.” Sora frowns at her.

“You've known me for one day, so how would you know that? This is the way things stand: If you don't work hard to level up, you will die. That's not just a fact, it's an inevitability. Destiny's Calling Online is too difficult to play as casually as you have been. If you cannot keep up with me, you are _going_ to die. That cannot be avoided any other way. You are not Virtual Demon. None of you are. You cannot defy the odds as he can, you cannot pull off miracles as he can, you cannot conquer anything and everything as he can. That's why we have to fight hard and share the XP equally. Too many people have died already. I will not allow more people to die because they're too lazy to level up properly. In case you've forgotten, this is no longer a game. You _can_ die here. Make no mistake, if your HP drops to zero, you _will_ die. You must take this more seriously if you want to survive this nightmare, if you want to see the real world again. I'm holding back so that all of you can keep up with me, so that we can all make it out alive. I wasn't standing aside because of any other reason than that my help wasn't really needed. When you _truly_ need my assistance, you will receive it without you even needing to ask for it. You have my word on that. So if you find yourself asking me to help you, that means you don't really need me to. It means that I know you're strong enough and skilled enough to deal with the situation on your own. When that happens, don't complain, and don't think either. Trust your instincts. They'll guide you well in this world. Whatever you do, don't depend on me. You can't. I won't always be around to help you. I have my own battles to fight. I'll be protecting you from the monsters you're not yet strong enough to kill. There's also a high probability that I will die in this world. I've already come to the brink of death six times since Reality Bytes took control. I'm going to be pushed to the brink countless more times in the future, and it's very likely that I will be killed in one of those situations. If you depend on me too much, you'll die too. All of you will. That's unacceptable. Don't depend on me. Become as strong as you can be so that you can soldier on after I die. That's the only thing you can do for the people trapped here: soldier on. Keep fighting. Bring down Reality Bytes and end this nightmare. There are no alternatives.” Suguha is stunned into silence again. No-one else speaks. None of them can find the words to respond to a speech like that. Nephthys continues to study Sora, her concern deepening. _Something is definitely wrong here. The way Sora's talking is all wrong. He's never accepted his own mortality before. He has always declared that he will never die, that he will transcend his limitations and live forever. Now he talks as though he's going to die at any second. And why is he treating this like reality? He even said it himself, that this is no longer a game. But that's wrong! This_ is _a game! It always was, it always will be. What happened to him? Has being trapped inside the game affected his mind? Is he breaking down? That in itself is unusual. He never broke down in DRO. He was the only one to stay strong and completely calm in that crisis, so why is this any different? Perhaps it was just a matter of time. Or maybe he just isn't able to cope with it any more. I heard that things have been very stressful for him lately, perhaps that strain has taken its toll on him, and weakened his willpower. In that case, stopping him from interfering with the hunt should be a breeze_. Sora turns towards the far end of the chamber and starts walking.

“Let's go. We've got a Tower to clear.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 3rd 2030 – 1204 JST**

Sora and Sinon stand before the black double doors on the fourth floor of the Tower of Kraler. Kirito and the others stand just behind them, looking around uneasily, a strange chill running down their spines. Klein seems especially nervous.

“Is anyone else feeling that bad vibe, or just me?” Asuna shakes her head.

“It's not just you. I feel it as well. I haven't felt anything like this since Floor 75 of Aincrad. The Skull Reaper. I felt the same bad vibe then as well.” Klein looks at her fearfully.

“You're not telling me we're facing _that_ 0 monster again! We won't stand a chance!” Kirito pats him on the shoulder.

“It's not the Skull Reaper. I know that much. While the vibe is essentially the same, I'm not sensing the same intent to kill. There _is_ something dangerous in the next room, but nothing we can't handle. Right Nebula?” Sora answers unemotionally.

“Stay on your guard and keep all of your senses sharpened. I don't like this feeling. There's something in here I wasn't anticipating I'd ever see. Remain on the defensive until I can figure out what we're up against. Don't attack until I give the signal, even if you think you have an opening. I'm predicting a tough battle. This might even be a Sub-boss Class monster.” Klein gulps nervously, but readies himself anyway, trying desperately to become mentally prepared for whatever lay ahead. Sora pushes open the doors and leads the way into the next chamber. The first thing he notices is the light, or lack thereof. The chamber is strangely dark, considering that the walls bear stained glass windows ten metres high and five metres wide. There are fourteen windows, seven on each side. Sora can see through them, to the bright noontime sunshine outside, but for some reason that light doesn't shine into the room. A murky grey haze pervades within the room, limiting vision. Sora's irises glow brightly as he peers through the gloom. A quick scan of the room reveals nothing. No monsters, no treasure chests, no NPCs or players. Nothing at all. Just an empty, murky room. Klein's voice rings out, sounding hopeful.

“There's nothing here, is there? It's just an empty room, right?” Sora turns to face Klein, and as he does so; a powerful chill freezes his spine, making his head spin as well. Sobbing fills the air, drawing everyone's attention. The darkness seems to burn away, the chamber becoming brighter very slowly. As the darkness is replaced with light, a girl appears in the centre of the room, seeming to fade in as the shadows fade out. She faces away from Sora, who is nearest to her, and sobs incessantly. Sora hesitates, uncertain, his mind feeling unusually cloudy.

“Who... are you? What are you doing here?” The girl stops sobbing, and stands tall, still facing away.

“Who am I? Why would you ask me that? You should know who I am.” Sora flinches as a lance of fear pierces his heart. _It can't be! I know that voice anywhere, but it just can't be! It's impossible!_

“W-Why? Because I... I don't know who you are. I-I know the voice, but you can't be her. That just isn't possible.” The girl sighs, sounding disappointed.

“Can't it? Are you really so sure about that? _You_ of all people know what it's like to redefine things that were once thought impossible. This is just another of those times. The only difference is that now _I'm_ the one doing the redefining. I had to. I wanted to see you again. I wanted to talk to you once more, little brother.” Sora freezes on the spot at this. Sinon looks confused and fearful herself. Even Nephthys is struck by fear. _No way! That's not possible! Akatsuki died. She died in SAO. She was one of the players who was killed by that death game. There's no way she can be alive! What the Hell's going on here?_ Sora licks his lips nervously, trying to fight against the tremble in his hands.

“I-I wanted to see you again too, you know? We haven't spoken for more than seven years Onē-sama. We... I... I-I just...” The girl tilts her head, almost looking back over her shoulder in the process.

“Hmm? That's not like you little bro. You've never stuttered before. Not ever. You've never had trouble making yourself heard. Are you afraid of something? But _that's_ not like you either. You've never been scared before. You were always my fearless little brother.” Sora grabs his left wrist, trying desperately to stop shaking.

“W-well... times change, Onē-sama. Situations change too. I've been through a lot these past seven years, and now in this world, I've been through things I've never imagined. There _is_ something I wanted to ask you though. What happened to you? I was there that day. I was right by your side, holding your hand when you... But now you're here? What happened?” The girl is silent for a few seconds, until she bursts out in cold laughter, the iciness of the joviality chilling everyone present, cloaked or uncloaked.

“What happened to me? Oh my dear sweet naïve little brother! Why that's such an obvious answer! I died! You know that. Want to know how? You killed me.” Sora's hand clamps tightly around his wrist, and his eyes bulge outwards as his heart hammers in his chest. Nephthys shares his fear. _No way! No way! This is wrong! It's wrong! There's got to be some explanation for this! Sora never killed her. He was never in SAO. She died in SAO. He knows that. He must do. What is this? Is that really Akatsuki? Nothing makes sense!_ Sora fights to keep his voice from vanishing.

“I-I-I... I don't understand. I couldn't have... It's not possible. You were... you were there... I wasn't... we only had one rig, one copy of the game. I couldn't have... There must be a mistake.” The girl snarls at Sora, but still she keeps her back to him.

“ _Mistake_? There's no mistake. You definitely killed me. Oh, but not like you're thinking. I know _that_ isn't possible, but you still killed me. Your weakness killed me. Your vulnerability, your relentless dependence. All of it. I was always looking after you. I sacrificed everything for you. When mum died, I became you mother. When dad died, I became your father. When Hayabusa commit suicide, I became your brother. It was too much for me to cope with though, but what could I do? You needed me. You've always needed me, so I had to just struggle on. Then the game came out. I said I'd check it out first, see if it was okay for you to play it. I was trapped in there, with the others. Ten thousand of us were thrown into the death game. I tried to survive. I _would_ have, if it wasn't for you. Your constant neediness weakened me. I despaired returning to the real world, to you. I wanted to stay in that world forever, but I was doomed to die, because of you. So you see: you killed me!” Silence falls over the room, frigid and oppressive, cementing everyone in place. Sinon's mind races as she tries to analyse the situation. _What's going on here? That can't be Akatsuki. That can't be Sora's older sister. She died in SAO. He was by her side when she died. He blames himself for her death, but it's also what motivates him to keep fighting. More than anything, he wants to know how she died. She's dead, by her own admission no less, so who is this? It's not possible for it to be her, so who or what is she? Is she a player in disguise? An NPC? A monster? But... none of those can be possible either. They know too much about Akatsuki to be any one of those. So what's the answer here? Could it be-_ The clamour of steel on stone rends the blanket of silence, shattering Sinon's concentration. She sees Sora standing, hands limp, his serrated short sword lying on the ground. The other sword falls from his right hand, the fingers seeming lifeless. As the sword clatters onto the stone floor, Sora falls to his knees, his face deathly pale, etched with an expression or horror and torment. He the drops onto his hands as well as the strength floods from his body.

“I... killed you. I really did... didn't I? I thought so. All these years... I've always cursed myself. I've always hated myself. We could have gotten a second NerveGear. I could have gone with you. I _should_ have gone with you. I could have protected you then. It would have been just like the old days. We were always a good team when we played with your friends. You, the Lancer, and me, the Ranger, or the Wizard. I always protected you then. Hey, Onē-sama; do you remember the Canyon of Fire adventure we did? I protected you from a Fire Dragon. I sacrificed your club president to save your life that time. He was pretty pissed, you remember? I should have been there, in Sword Art. I should have protected you as I always did. It was the only thing I was ever good for, and I let you down. I'm the reason you died. I... failed you.” Kirito flinches at this. _His sister was one of the SAO players? She was one of the four thousand who died? Who was she then? Did I know her? Could_ I _have saved her? Four thousand players died, she was one of them. But then... how is she here? Are we supposed to believe that she's a ghost? Like Griselda? Or is there something we're missing?_ Kirito and the others watch as the girl turns around, facing Sora at last. They all gasp as they catch sight of her. Black skin with blood red runes that glow ominously. Piercing yellow eyes with snake-like pupils. Razor sharp fangs and vampiric sabre teeth. Hair as dark as oil, yet rippling as though on fire. Two viciously barbed horns protrude from above her eyebrows, while black wings extend from her back. A long whip-like tail flicks back and forth playfully. Her Demonic appearance is strangely beautiful. Everyone gasps as they realise what it is they're looking at. Everyone, except for Sora. She kneels down in front of him, placing a clawed hand under his chin gently, raising his eyes to meet hers before speaking soothingly.

“Well... maybe I'm being too harsh. Getting killed, it's liable to make anyone a little cranky. I mean... it's not like I was alone in that world. I was with a guild. I should have been safe with them. I _should_ have, but they weren't strong enough. You used to prove that all the time. You were the only one who was ever consistently capable of protecting me. I've always wondered why that was.” Sora looks the Demon in the eyes, seemingly oblivious to her appearance.

“I guess... guilt. I could never do anything to help you. Not in the real world. I was too weak, too inept. I couldn't help you in the real world, so when we played games, I made sure that I helped you as much as possible. I'll always help you. I'll do anything for you.” The Demon smiles maliciously.

“I see now. That explains everything. Well... I'm here now. We're together again, and you are getting a second chance. Don't let me down now, 'kay little bro?” Sinon can only look on in shock as the scene unfolds before her eyes. _He can't see her, can he? He can't see the Demon. She's showing him what he wants to see, showing him Akatsuki. How is this bitch planning to manipulate him? It doesn't matter, I'll just have to kill her!_ Sinon draws her bow and fires, the arrow racing towards the Demon's heart in a wreath of light. The Demon only smiles playfully at the arrow. Steel screams through the air, and a short sword splits the arrow in two, causing the Demon's smile to broaden. Sora stands before her, swords in hand, protecting her from Sinon and the others. His expression is dark.

“What the fuck do you think you're doing, Sinon? That's my sister you're shooting at. Are you trying to become a Red Player? I don't care if you're the guild leader or not, if you attack Onē-sama, I _will_ hurt you, Astral Cloak or no. So stand down, unless you want a fight. I won't hold back. I failed her once, I won't do so again. I'll use everything at my disposal to protect her, you got that? You know what that means. _You_ know better than anyone what I'm capable of. You think you can face the real me and live to tell of it?” The coldness in Sora's voice goes beyond anything Sinon has ever heard from him before. It is far more malevolent than she had even imagined it could be. Even Nephthys is shocked by it. _This is the worst case scenario. That Demon, that Succubus; she's controlling Sora, isn't she? I don't understand how she knows about Akatsuki, but she's using that knowledge to manipulate Sora, playing on his love for her, and his self-hatred for an imagined responsibility for her death_. Klein's confusion prevents him from being struck dumb as everyone else seems to be.

“Hey, Nebula. This isn't funny man. You _can_ see her, right? That's not your sister. I know you're a Hellborne, but you know that's not her right? That's a Demon you're protecting.” Sora glares at Klein.

“The only Demon in my family is me. I'm not just any Demon either. I'm your worst nightmare. I'm the last person in this world you want to piss off, so watch what you say. Got that?” Klein flinches from the hostility. From the corner of his eye, he sees Cassandra inch around to get a clear shot at the Demon.

“Aeli-” Sora reacts faster, thrusting his palm at the Shade. Thunder booms in the chamber as the spell collides with Cassandra's chest, throwing her back eight metres. She slams into the rear wall and drops to the floor, winded. Sora reverses the grip on his swords and adopts a defensive stance, shielding the Succubus entirely.

“That's the last straw. There will be no more warnings from here on out. The next person to attack my sister _will_ die. I've spent the last six years playing VRMMOs, becoming as strong as possible, and searching for someone who could tell me how my sister died. Six years. You may be SAO survivors and VRMMO veterans, but what can you do against someone with _my_ motivation? The answer I have sought all these years stands right behind me, shielded by me. I have my sister back now. She is with me once more. If you think I'm going to stand by and let us be separated again, you're sadly mistaken. It doesn't matter to me who you are, you won't take my sister from me. So back the fuck off! Don't give me a reason to kill you. Trust me on that one; if you attack my sister again, you _will_ die. No hesitation, no mercy, no holding back. Is that understood?” The players inch backwards, feeling the fire of Sora's anger flowing from him. Sinon gasps as a black icon appears next to Sora's health bar. _That's the Controlled Condition marker! The Succubus has total control over Sora now. She seems to be letting him move freely at the moment, but in an instant she could change that and do whatever she pleases with him. By imitating his sister, she's gained almost total control of Sora's mind. Almost. He's still in there somewhere. If he's still there, then maybe he can break free of her. Think! What should I do? What would Sora do?_ Sinon hesitates a moment, remembering Sora's words in the first chamber.

“ _Trust your instincts. They'll guide you well in this world.” Sora; forgive me. This is going to hurt you more than it hurts me_. Sinon places her bow in her inventory, swapping it for the Scimitar she used against Mawlocke. She launches forwards with astonishing speed, rushing straight for Sora, blade glowing silver as she prepares a Sword Skill. Sora reacts quickly to the attack, but the Sword Skill is faster and stronger than he anticipated, and the seventh strike nearly blinds his right eye as the blade gouges deeply along the side of his face, cutting the tip of his right ear off. Sinon presses her attack, slamming her knee into Sora's stomach then slashing his left shoulder. Yui's voice rings out, carrying her concern.

“Sinon stop! We need him!” Sinon doesn't glance back.

“No. Not when he's like this we don't. If he's letting himself be so easily controlled by a Succubus, then there's nothing he can do for us. There will be more monsters like this one further along. She won't be the only Succubus either. If they can all control him this easily, then it's in our best interests to stop him now, while we still can. Otherwise, he'll just kill us all. Not just us; his comrades, but everyone trapped in this world, everyone who depends on him, everyone who needs him to save them. The women, the children. He'll kill us all under her orders. She won't kill him after that. She won't need to. You feel guilty for killing the Red Players, don't you Nebula? So how are you going to feel after killing three million people? Innocent people, Green Players. People scared and desperate. People who want nothing more than to go home to their friends and families. How many lives will you destroy because you're too weak to resist a single Succubus? How many families will you tear apart? Are you going to stand by and let this happen? Are you going to let yourself become one of the most hated people in history? Are you prepared to be labelled as a monster, to be compared with the likes of Hitler, Pol Pot and Chairman Mao? Because if you don't come back to us, you're going to end up like them. Remembered for all of time as a murderer, a monster, someone not even considered Human. Is that what you want?” In his anger, Sora slashes at Sinon, but she blocks him with ease, before punching him just below the Sternum, driving the air out of his lungs and dropping him to the ground. She crouches before him, and punches him in the right ear, the force dropping his health bar into the yellow. She grabs his chin and forces him to look at her.

“Think back Nebula. After the fight with Elric. I chased after you, remember? I promised that I wouldn't tell the others what happened, and I'll stick to that promise, but what did _you_ promise in return? What was it you swore to do? No matter the costs, even that of your own life, who did you vow to protect and return to the real world? Are you a man of your word? Are you going to break your promise? I refuse to believe that you're _that_ kind of person. So stop being so stupid and come back to me!” Sinon's instincts scream at her to get back, as Sora slashes upwards. The Scimitar is ripped from her hands, and she falls backwards, her legs giving way. The Scimitar stabs into the stone beside her head, narrowly missing. Fear sets into Sinon's heart as Sora stands over her, holding both swords tightly. Yet he doesn't try to attack her. His arms twitch as if trying to move, but something seems to be stopping them. Sora's face looks conflicted and confused, and the Controlled Marker starts flashing.

“I don't... I don't... I-I... I don't know what I'm supposed to do! I can't think, can't remember!” Sora spins around to face the Succubus.

“What should I do Sa-” He stops mid-sentence, as his world collapses around him. For a moment, the timid girl with azure eyes and indigo shoulder-length hair who he had been talking, stares at him sadly. To his horror, her appearance changes. Her skin turns black, blood red runes etched into it. Her azure eyes turn yellow, bearing snake-like pupils. Her hair turns blood red, like the runes. Vicious silver horns emerge from her forehead, and black wings appear at her back. Sora stumbles back in shock, unable to accept what he is seeing.

“W-what... the Hell? Who... are _you_? What did you do with my sister?” It is the Succubus' turn to be shocked as she realises her disguise has fallen.

“What is this? That's not possible! How can you see me? Your sister is the most precious thing in the world to you! You abandoned her? No! This can't be!” Sora holds a hand to his head as nausea and confusion fight for dominance. He seems to be struggling to stand, wobbling unsteadily, swaying and staggering.

“M-my sister... my sister... my sister _is_ the most precious thing to me. She's the most precious. She's the reason I'm alive, the reason I exist. When she died... when she died... she died, she died, she... So she... So she was never here. She was never here, she was never here, she was never here. All the things she said... That was you.” The Succubus backs off, looking fearful as Sora's irises turn blood red. Yui becomes alarmed too, as she turns to Kirito and Asuna.

“Nebula's mental state is on the verge of collapse! He's going insane!” The laughter supports this. Cold, heartless, and maniacal. Sora's paroxysms are completely devoid of sanity.

“You... you... you _bitch_! You would dare to impersonate Akatsuki? You think it's okay to pretend to be my sister? To look like her, talk like her, trick me into believing that you _were_ her? You ignorant piece of _shit_! How dare you stain Akatsuki! You don't have any right to sully my sister like that! You toyed with my heart, my emotions, playing on my self-hatred and guilt for her death, and for what? To control me? There are any number of ways you could have achieved the same result but you chose to rape the image of Akatsuki! You wanted me to do your bidding, to pit the real me against my comrades, and you used the memory of my sister to that end. If you really want to see the real me, then I'll show it to you. I'll show you what Hell _really_ looks like, what it feels like. I'll show you... a _true_ Demon!” Sora's knuckles crack as he clenches his fists around the hilts of his swords, and explodes forwards like a Railgun. The Succubus conjures knives, darts and spears of shadow, firing all of them at Sora, who doesn't dodge or block. He shows no response to the blades that cut and puncture him, no signs of suffering any pain. He just charges relentlessly. The Succubus fires a volley of Magic Missiles and flaming arrows, but fear throws off her aim, and her attacks miss. As Sora bears down on her, the Succubus draws a Katana while retreating. She raises the sword to protect herself as Sora cleaves down at her with the serrated short sword. The two blades collide with phenomenal force. Sora's sword is sent skywards, but the impact shatters the Katana, leaving the Succubus defenceless against Sora's other sword, which glows with a golden light. Sora slashes with blinding speed and brutal strength, hewing the Succubus' arms, wings and tail from her body, before rending her chest open. He plunges his left hand into the fissure and grabs her beating heart. A single word comes to the front of his mind, and as he speaks it; his serrated sword hits the ground, the clatter drowning out that single word. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Succubus blinks, completely dazed as she finds herself standing inside of a hospital room. A single bed sits in the room, occupied by a girl, maybe fifteen years old. On her head rests a helmet, with the words 'NerveGear' printed on it. Sat next to the bed, holding the girl's hand, is a young boy about ten years old. He looks pale and drawn, and very underfed. Almost to the point of emaciation. The Succubus moves around opposite the boy and crouches down, getting a look at his face. His eyes are not the same colour. His left eye is brown, while his right eye is green. Dark circles surround them. A forced smile plays on his face, evidence that the boy is just pretending to be strong, but the pain he feels at heart is clear in his bloodshot eyes. The Succubus glances around and spies a digital clock, featuring the date as well as the time. The clock displays the time as being 17:40, and the date as June 22nd 2023. She looks back at the boy, still holding the girl's hand, as he starts talking.

“Say Onē-sama; don't be mad, but I kind of... got you a birthday present this morning. I know you said I shouldn't spend my money so carelessly, but I can't ignore this one. It's your sixteenth birthday next week. June 30th. It'd be nice if we could throw a party for you. Oh, but the doctors said you might need rehab when you wake up. That's okay though right, Onē-sama? We can just have the party a little late. People do that a lot, because of work or whatever. But... I'll definitely give you your present on your birthday, okay? So please, come back to me for that. I know you'll love it. I hope everything's okay in there for you. You're with the others, aren't you? Your computer club? Keita's a good leader, so he'll be looking after you all, I'm sure of it. When you come back, I'll be waiting. You can count on that. Don't worry about me though. I'm good, promise! Dr Samson says my condition isn't advancing at the moment. Maybe he was wrong about me! So come back, okay Onē-sama? Please come back!” The girl spasms, as if waking up. The boy's face lights up.

“Onē-sama!” There is no response. The girl lies completely still, her chest no longer rising and falling. The life support equipment registers no pulse, no respiration, no brain activity. Nothing. The boy shakes the girl's hand.

“Akatsuki? Akatsuki? Hey, wake up! Come on, wake up!” A hand grips the boy's shoulder gently. The Succubus had never even seen the doctor enter the room, or the nurses. One of the nurses feels for a pulse, and shakes her head.

“She's gone.” The doctor glances forlornly at his watch.

“Time of death: 1745.” What little colour remained in the boy's face is leached away in an instant, and his eyes shine as tears fall.

“No... it can't be! No... Sachi!” The world changes again. The Succubus finds herself standing in a cold, dark room. As she looks around, she sees the boy standing on a chair, a makeshift noose around his neck. As he kicks the chair away, the door to the room flies open, the sudden light dazzling the Succubus. A man catches the boy as he falls, stopping him from being hung. He rips the noose off the child, who struggles angrily.

“No! Let me go! Just let me die!” The man holds onto him, even as the boy punches and kicks him.

“I won't do it Sora. I won't let you kill yourself. Your sister wouldn't want that.” The young Sora continues flailing.

“But I'm going to die in two years anyway, so what's the point! Just let me go to her now!” The world changes again, but only slightly this time. The same room, but more light. The child Sora lay in the bed, a bucket filled with vomit and half digested pills rests nearby. Sora mutters deliriously, while the man from earlier hooks him up to a drip feed.

“Mum... Dad... Hayabusa... Akatsuki. They're all... waving at me. They're standing on... the other side of the fence, but I can't... find the gate. I can't... be with them. Where is the... gate? Why can't I go? Why can't I... die?” The man pats him on the shoulder.

“It's because... you're not ready. It's not your time to see them. When you get older, you'll understand. They don't want you to throw away your life. Not for them. If you die before your time, everything they did for you would be wasted, and they'd be mad with you.” Sora's head flops to the side.

“They'd be mad? I don't... want that. I want them... to be happy. Like they are now. They're smiling at me. I just... want to be happy with them.” The man crouches by Sora's side.

“And you will be. You just need to be patient. When you're ready, you'll see them again, and you'll all go to a new world together. I promise.” Sora smiles weakly.

“Thanks... Dr Samson.” The man pats Sora again, before taking the bucket out of the room. Sora mutters to himself.

“That's... the fifth time he's stopped me... from dying. Is he right? Is it too early... to see them again? But it's... the only thing I want. Nothing else matters. My life is meaningless... without them.” Sora rolls over, raising a weak hand to stroke the head of a figurine by his bed with his finger. The Succubus hadn't seen it before now. The figurine is of a fearless warrior woman with shoulder-length indigo hair, and calm azure eyes. She wears pale blue armour bearing the image of a wolf and a Phoenix. In her hands, she holds a gilded Naginata. It takes a moment for the Succubus to realise that the figurine is the same girl that she had been mimicking. The figurine is of Sachi. The room turns pitch black, disappearing into nothingness. The Hellborne Sora stands before her, hand inside her chest, his expression a mixture of sorrow and fury.

“Do you understand now? Do you know what Hell is now? Hell is having your entire family ripped away from you before you even hit ten years old. It's being unable to see them again, no matter how hard you try. It's knowing that killing yourself to find them again would only anger and disgrace them. It's knowing that you have to live a meaningless existence while waiting for your time to come. My time came, and went. Five years ago it went, but I'm still here. This is Hell. Five years past my time and I'm still not allowed to see my family again. When I saw her, I thought my time had come at last. But it was just you, wasn't it? You're nothing but a heartless monster.” Sora yanks his hand out of the Succubus' chest, taking her heart with it. The heart disintegrates, and the Succubus crumbles away as well. Sora falls to his knees once more, as dizziness and exhaustion take their toll. A hand grips his shoulder reassuringly, and his fallen sword appears before him. Sora looks up to see Sinon, her expression concerned and fearful.

“Are you going to be alright?” Sora hesitates, unsure of the answer himself.

“I wish I could tell you. I honestly don't know. This wasn't something I ever anticipated. I thought we were going to be fighting against some form of Shadow monster, a Shade or something along those lines. I wasn't expecting a Succubus. Let alone one that could mimic my sister. I... I'm sorry, Sinon. I let you down didn't I? When I heard her voice... I just couldn't have prepared myself for that. My emotions overpowered my logic. I stopped thinking, and stopped listening to my instincts. I let myself believe everything she told me. I made it so easy for her to control me, and then I turned against you when you tried to protect me. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry!” Sinon crouches down beside him, placing her Scimitar on the ground and putting her arms around Sora as tears stream down his face. As Nephthys watches, a surge of envy and fury pulses through her heart. _Stop smothering my Soulmate you God damn whore! He's just had to confront his own Demons, suffering severe emotional trauma! The last thing he needs is you crawling all over him for God's sake!_ From the corner of her eye, Nephthys sees one of her guild members running forwards, towards Sora and Sinon.

“No wait!” The shout came as a reflex, Nephthys had no control over it. The Red Player she shouted at hesitates, forgetting that he is cloaked. That moment of hesitation has dire consequences, as Sora leaps to his feet and charges the player, swinging his sword. The blade cleaves off the Red Player's left arm, destroying his Invisibility Cloak as well. As the player fades into existence, Sora sees the Red icon and becomes enraged. He strikes furiously, without hesitation or mercy, slashing deeply with blinding speed. The fourteenth attack is a thrust through the heart with freezes the Red Player solid, until Sora kicks the player in the chest, causing him to shatter into thousands of pieces. Nephthys is frozen by her shock. _He... saw Locket? How? How did Sora see through the Invisibility Cloak? His Perception can't possibly be that high, he's lower level than Locket was! So how?_ As she studies Sora, she sees that his irises shine unnaturally brightly, and the answer clicks in her mind. _All-Seeing Eyes! Of course. That's exactly the sort of thing Sora would go for. He can see us all. He knows we're here. The others do too. What should I do? If Sora can see us, he'll be able to protect the others. I should call off the hunt, but what about Team One? They don't know what's happened yet, and I doubt I'll be allowed to get a message to them. I'll have to try and incapacitate Sora first then, before ordering the retreat_. Before she can do anything, Sora raises his right hand. A hurricane of icy wind whips up out of nowhere, blustering Nephthys and her comrades. She feels a blade slash her face, but she never saw it coming. _A Wind Spell of some kind? Of course! Zephyr Blades! That's one of the spells a Swordmage starts off with at Level 1. He's trained it up a lot it seems, that attack hurt_. It takes a moment for Nephthys to realise that Kirito and the others are staring directly at her, and then at her comrades as they materialise from thin air. _I see, he wasn't trying to kill us, he was disabling our invisibility, drawing us out of hiding. The element of surprise has been completely stolen from us now. Even so, the plan remains. I have to stun Sora, before ordering the retreat. I only have one-_ Nephthys stops dead as Kirito and Asuna vanish in a beam of blue light, followed by Klein and Cassandra. It's only when Agil and Suguha vanish as well that she realises what's happening. _Sora's using Teleport Crystals on them? But this is a dungeon! All he's doing is sending them back to the entrance! He's only protecting them for a few minutes. I don't understand what he's trying to accomplish. By sending his team away, he's leaving himself outnumbered. Why?_ Sora reaches out to Sinon with a Teleport Crystal, when a wave of purple light pulses through the room. Sinon doesn't teleport away, earning hesitation and fear from Sora. A voice calls out from the stairwell.

“That was quick thinking boy, but not quick enough. I've cast a Teleport Seal throughout this room. You can't use Teleport Crystals in here any more. If only I'd gotten here sooner, I could have held the Black Swordsman in here as well. No matter. Doubtless he's frantically trying to return here as we speak. In the meantime, I'll be taking everything in your inventory. Hers too, and the Pixie's. You're outnumbered, surrounded, and facing higher level opponents. You might be the Virtual Demon, but you're still just a child playing a game. You are not the hero you think you are.” Nephthys flinches at the voice. _JB's here? He came down, abandoning the plan? It's good timing, but suspicious. Did he hear my shout after all then? Or did he realise Locket had been killed?_ Sora glares coldly at the stairwell, at the man in the skull mask who materialises from thin air.

“Yui; protect Sinon. I have to educate these Red Players.” JB snorts.

“You'll educate us? Is that confidence or arrogance speaking? Well, I guess it matters little in the end. Your fate is still the same. Just like you, I am alone here. There's no-one to restrain me, no-one to hold me back and limit my potential. That means I can go all out. I've been going all out since the game launched. As you can plainly see; I'm a full ten levels above you. How do you think I gained those levels? By killing foolish players like you. This world is a paradise for someone like me, and I will become God of this world. Just you watch. Kill him! Kill them all!” Twenty Red Players charge forwards from the sidelines, aiming mostly for Sora, though three target Sinon. Only Nephthys and JB hang back, observing the progression of the battle. A roaring gale howls within the chamber, the wind tearing up the stone floor as it races towards the three Red Players targeting Sinon. The Zephyr Blades find their marks, shredding two players outright, while the third is thrown back, his health bar emptying rapidly. The main group converges on Sora, forcing him to end his spellcasting and defend himself. Seventeen players attack simultaneously, and Sora vanishes from view. Nephthys edges forwards, skirting wide as well to try and get a better view. When she gets it, the sight shocks her: Sora stands, partially crouched, with two swords held above him. The two blades block axes, sickles and more swords to form a kind of roof. The Red Players try to push down, but their weapons don't budge. They cannot reach through the shield of interlocked weapons either, so they cannot get to Sora to harm him. _Good God! He's really shielding himself with his enemies' weapons? It sounds exactly like something Sora would attempt, but to see it actually succeed... I never expected that. Even so, he's backed himself into a corner. There's no way for him to escape, is there? If he removes his swords from the block, the shield collapses and the weapons tear him apart. Unless-_ Sora makes the move before Nephthys can finish thinking about it, thrusting his serrated short sword deeper into the lattice of weaponry, locking it up completely. In doing this, Sora frees up his other short sword, which glows with a dark blue light. Sora throws the sword forwards, but keeps his arm extended, even as the sword pierces the side of a Red Player. He swings his right arm around in one full circle, and the sword swings as well, as though the sword were still somehow attached to him. Sora completes the revolution, slashing deeply into everyone surrounding him. As two of the Red Players falter, flinching from the pain; Sora performs a back-flip, kicking the roof of weapons above him. The force of the blow causes the interlock to come apart, scattering weapons into the air and throwing several Red Players off balance. One of these players stumbles towards Sora, who stabs the man in the heart, letting go of his sword in the process. As a longsword and a dagger fall towards Sora, carrying less momentum than the other weapons; he catches them and hurls them mightily in opposite directions, targeting two Red Players who were recovering from their shock. The longsword pierces the skull of one Red Player, killing him, while the dagger burrows deep into the ribs of a flame-haired girl, the force of the impact knocking her to the ground. A pair of hatchets fall into Sora's hands momentarily, before each is thrown forcefully into the hearts of another pair of Red Players, both of whom die instantly. Sora's blue-bladed short sword falls into his right hand, which was already in the process of swinging to block a Battle-axe being swung at his throat. The two weapons collide with an ear-splitting shriek, and the Battle-axe splinters out of existence. With six vicious slashes, the axe-wielder is brought down and beheaded. Four Red Players strike simultaneously, lunging with longswords and a Scimitar, trying to catch Sora off-guard. Sora shifts backwards, bounding two strides to pass between a pair of longswords and the Players wielding them. As he passes them, Sora spins around, slashing deep into the backs of their necks. Both players collapse to the ground on their hands and knees, their health bars flashing, but they still live. Sora rushes forwards, foot-stooling off of one of these players in order to launch himself airborne and catch a falling sickle, and killing that player in the process. He lands just behind the player with the Scimitar and thrusts his sword backwards, punching the blade through the man's spine, into his heart, and out through the chest, before yanking the blade straight out again and into the throat of the fourth Red Player. Eight more Red Players enter the fray, with one wielding a Katana who runs ahead of the others. Sora raises his left hand at this man.

“Kahkrillos!” The Thunder-burst Spell throws the man with the Katana back, just as a Claymore falls point first, skewering the player through the skull. The Spell arcs off, killing the flame-haired girl and the other wounded player, and paralysing two identical players who both dual-wield Hook Swords. The other five Red Players are unaffected by the spell and engage Sora at close range. They attack in unison, aiming to defeat Sora with sheer numbers. As he parries the strikes all at once, their weapons shatter apart and vanish, leaving them defenceless. Sora doesn't hesitate for a second as he slices his opponents to pieces before throwing the Sickle at the survivor of the Zephyr Blades. The Sickle sinks into the man's right shoulder just above the collarbone, at the point where the neck and the shoulder meet. He disintegrates, leaving just the two paralysed Red Players, JB, and Nephthys; who stands speechless. _Holy... shit! I've always known that Sora was strong, that he was the greatest gamer of all time, but even then his skills have exceeded my expectations. He's grown even stronger than I imagined possible. Every single member of this guild is at least eight levels higher than Sora, and he just killed them all, even when they attacked in unison. Is it even possible to defeat Sora? It must be! Surely he's not invincible? It might be possible still to stun him, if he can be distracted well enough. But how?_ Sora starts walking towards the two paralysed players, spinning both short swords around his hands, reversing his grip and switching back again repeatedly. For a moment, Nephthys thinks that he will kill them as well, but instead he walks between them, ignoring their existence as he marches towards her. She sees the paralysis icons disappear suddenly, and she isn't the only one.

“Look out!” Sora spins around, sword swinging. As his blade carves through the throat of the Red Player, the attacker thrusts a knife into Sora's chest, stabbing him in the right lung. As the Red Player disintegrates, his twin brother charges at Sora, taking advantage of his wounded state. In his complacency, he makes a fatal error. An arrow pierces through his right knee while a white bolt of magic blasts his right hand, knocking the Hook Sword from it. Sora seizes the opportunity handed to him by thrusting his serrated sword up through the chin of the wounded twin, finishing him off. Yui yelps in shock and pain as black chains wrap around her tightly, then Sora jolts, feeling a small prick in the back of his neck. A paralysis icon appears next to his health bar. Cold laughter rings out as Sora struggles to move, his limbs locked in place as though set in concrete.

“Impressive. Very impressive. You lived up to your reputation; Virtual Demon. I expected no less from you, though capturing you was still too easy. Always watch your back. That's a lesson I learned nearly eight years ago. In Aincrad.” Sora feels a surge of fear at the mention of the name.

“Aincrad? Then you're... from Sword Art Online?” JB appears in Sora's field of view.

“That's right. I was one of the ten thousand players trapped in that game for almost two years, and one of it's six thousand survivors. I was a member of an exceptional guild in that game. Do you know which one? I'll give you just one clue.” JB raises his right hand before Sora's face, palm pointing away, before removing the glove. On the back of his hand is a tattoo: A coffin with a manic smile, and a single arm reaching out from within. The fear in Sora's heart strengthens at the sight of the tattoo, something that he instantly recognises.

“That's... the emblem of Laughing Coffin; the infamous murder guild. So even there, you were a monster.” JB laughs maniacally.

“How rude! It's not nice to call someone a monster, especially when you're a Demon yourself. How many players have died by your hand since this game went live? Twenty? Fifty? A hundred? I know it was you who slaughtered Red Players on the first night. They were my bretherin. Or so they believe anyway. They were just tools, easy to exploit, easy to manipulate. It didn't take much persuading to get them to rampage. You just had to spoil my fun, didn't you? Oh, but where _are_ my manners? I haven't introduced myself yet! In this world I am known as JB Fumetsu, but in SAO I was known simply as Johnny Black. Don't worry yourself Nebula, or whatever your name is. I won't kill you. Yet. I have other plans. It starts with capturing you, and that Pixie of yours, proceeds to watching as your Elven friend gets beheaded, and once Kirito returns, it will conclude with me killing him, once and for all. Three of my comrades died by his hands, and many more were imprisoned because of him. The Black Swordsman is nothing more than a cockroach, one who has been scurrying around a little too long. First things first though; I've held up my end Nephthys, now be a good girl and kill Sinon.” Sora hears the footsteps, but he can't even turn his head to look at Sinon.

“With pleasure. I've been wanting to kill this bitch all day.” Sora snarls angrily, fear being burned away by hatred.

“If you dare lay a hand on Sinon, I'll drag you to Hell personally! You hear that Natalie? You'll die for real this time!” The footsteps stop suddenly.

“How? How do you always know it's me? I've never been able to figure it out, but I'm kind of flattered, Sora. It feels like you know me better than I know myself.” Sora snorts.

“It's because you're a moron! Nephthys is the Egyptian Goddess of Death, Lamentation and Rivers. Nut is the Egyptian Goddess of the Stars, the Heavens and the Universe. Tefnut is the Egyptian Goddess of Water, Rain and Fertility. Isis is the Egyptian Goddess of Health, Marriage and Wisdom. Neith is the Egyptian Goddess of War and Hunting. Are you seeing the pattern here? You keep naming yourself after Egyptian Goddesses you dumb shit! In Alfheim though, you were Nefertiti. That was the sole exception. The only reason you slipped my attention in Dragon's Reign was because I'd never heard of Qetesh; Goddess of Sexuality and Sacred Ecstasy. Perhaps if you possessed even half a brain cell, you'd learn to vary your character names more. The reason I always know it's you is because you're depressingly retarded, not because I know you better than you know yourself. Truth is I don't know you at all. I thought I did, but then you turned out to be a psychotic serial killer. It's wrong to hunt other people, even in games. Killing them in a fair fight is one thing, but to stalk them like prey animals and slaughter them in ambush attacks? That's a whole new level of fucked up. I honestly don't know who the bigger monster is: You, or this piece of shit who joined a murder guild. You both disgust me, and neither one of you will leave this world alive. You can't. I won't allow murderers to roam freely, inciting panic as you slaughter innocent people.” A serrated blade presses against Sora's throat, the unnatural coldness of the steel biting sharply. Johnny's voice speaks into his right ear, sounding just as cold as the knife he holds on Sora.

“I'm getting real sick of you talking down on me like you're better than me. I hate to admit it, but you've got more blood on your hands than I do. You're no different than me, really. You didn't _have_ to kill my guild members, did you? You're strong enough to capture them, strong enough to restrain them, and yet you consciously made the decision to end their lives. How many families did you tear apart in that rampage I wonder? How many of the players you killed had wives or children? How many orphans did you create? You're a murderer, just like me. The only difference is, you're trying to deny that. You're trying to paint yourself as some kind of hero while I'm some kind of monster. You're wrong. We're both murderers, both monsters. We're the same, you and I, you just can't accept that. It's too bad. If you could embrace your true nature, this would all be so much simpler. Why, you could even kill Sinon yourself. It's not like you can protect her. You're too weak. As long as you keep lying to yourself, you will always be weak. You're not a hero, just a delusional child. You'll never be able to save anyone here. All you can do, is watch them die. Chop chop Nephthys, dispose of Sinon now, before Kirito shows up and spoils my fun.” The fear that had been constricting Sora's heart suddenly vanishes at that last sentence, and a kind of calmness replaces it.

“Fun? _Fun_ , you say? You think it's _fun_ to kill people? To make them suffer, to hurt them, watch them beg and plead and cry, before you kill them mercilessly? You _enjoy_ that, huh? In the end, this is all just a _game_ to you, isn't it?” Johnny hesitates a moment, confused by Sora's words. Then the pain lances through his body, originating from his chest. The sensation startles him, forcing him to release his grip on the knife. As he staggers backwards, he sees the source of his agony: a thin, whip-like tail thrust through his chest, just to the right of his heart. _He stabbed me... with his tail? Impossible!_ Sora spins around, wrenching his tail from Johnny's chest, and slashes with such speed that his blade vanishes from sight momentarily. Johnny's hands fall off before he even feels the pain from their amputation. He staggers backwards, feeling a surge of fear pulse through him, fear that amplifies at the sight of Sora's murderous expression; his lifeless crimson eyes.

“So this is a game, and I am your opponent. And I _never_ lose.” Sora lunges forwards with only his blue-bladed short sword in hand, the blade glowing with golden light. He slashes with furious speed, carving Johnny's armour to pieces with brutal strength. Twenty slashes in all, followed by a decisive thrust to the chest. As the cross-guard slams into him, Johnny is blasted from the blade like a Railgun. He smashes through the stained glass window and out over the battlefield below. As Sora watches, he sees a blue circle appear around Johnny. _Teleport Spell!_ He reacts on instinct, drawing a knife and hurling it at Johnny with all of his might. Johnny vanishes into the azure light, and the knife is lost as well. Sora tuts angrily.

“Shit! Cunning bastard. You won't escape next time.” He turns around, to see Nephthys holding a knife to Sinon's throat, the purple blade standing out starkly against her fair skin.

“Not another step Sora, or this bitch gets bled like a pig.” Sora growls at her.

“It's over Natalie. You're on your own here. There's nowhere for you to run. If you surrender, I'll go easy on you. I'm really not in good shape for fighting right now, so don't force me to. Let her go, and I'll spare your life. You'll be confined to Kraler Prison for the duration of this crisis. That's the best I can offer you. But if you kill Sinon, you'll lose your only bargaining chip, and I _will_ kill you. Slowly, painfully. It won't be like Dragon's Reign. It'll be so much worse than that. The shock will probably kill you before I do. Are you prepared to experience that kind of Hell? Because I'm prepared to inflict it.” Nephthys grips Sinon more tightly, digging the blade in a little, dropping her health bar a fraction.

“That's a nice threat Sora, but it's wasted on me. You don't want Sinon to die. I've already seen it. I've seen the way you protect her, and the way she protects you. It's _disgusting_. She makes me _sick_ the way she clings to you. Why couldn't she be with someone else? If she had a boyfriend already, instead of crawling all over you like flies on dog shit, then I wouldn't want to kill her right now. It makes me sick just holding onto this walking piece of trash, but I have to do it. As long as she's alive, you won't do anything to risk changing that, right? It's too bad though. She can't have you. She's not good enough. You're mine after all.” Sinon chokes, struggling to talk.

“You've got to be kidding me! I'm being held by a damn Yandere aren't I? I've met some fucked up bitches in my time, but you're the worst. You think you have a right to be with Sora? You're insane!” Nephthys digs the knife in further still, draining more of Sinon's health. About a quarter of her health bar is missing now.

“Why shouldn't I have him? I've known him a lot longer than you have. I was the one who taught him how to play Alfheim Online. I showed him the best ways to fight, the best ways to level up, and I showed him all around that world. I've known him for nearly half of his life. I know him better than you do. Oh, I heard you mentioning his sister's name. I'm surprised he told a pathetic piece of scum like you about Akatsuki, but I bet you don't know everything. Did you know that he was afraid of Aincrad? He was so scared the first time he saw it, he accidentally logged out of ALO. Do you know why that is? What about his family? Did he tell you what happened to them too? Did he tell you about his motivation for becoming the best gamer in the world? Did he tell you about the day Akatsuki died? About the present he bought her?” Sinon continues to struggle, but she has no answers to give. Sora steps forwards.

“That's enough Natalie! You'll leave my past out of this. I only told you about those things back then because I was weak, because I thought you were my friend, and because I thought I could trust you. You betrayed me Natalie. You betrayed the trust I placed in you when you became a mass murderer. Do you have any idea how badly you hurt me?” Nephthys falters at this, pulling the knife away slightly.

“I-I... I never meant to hurt you Sora. I was... I just... I was just so lonely without you. After the battle against the five races, after you became Ambassador for the Spriggan-Undine Alliance, we hardly got to see each other any more. I felt like was going insane at times, without you. It took me a while to realise how I felt about you, but I know now. Sora I-” Sora cuts her off angrily, shouting as he emotions rage out of control once more.

“Shut up! You shut the fuck up, right now! I don't care how you feel. Not any more. You're nothing more than a monster to me! You don't know just what hardships you put me through. Everyone suspected me of being the murderer. Not just the Spriggans or the Undines. It was _all_ of the nine races. Everywhere I went, people would accuse me and attack me. Even when I was offline I'd get flooded with hate mail and death threats. I devoted all of my time to finding out the truth, sacrificing my life to do so, giving up sleep as well. And what do I find out? I find out that my friend is a murdering lunatic. Now you're telling me you did it because you were lonely? That it was because I wasn't spending any time with you? Fuck off! Fuck off and die Natalie! You killed those people because you _enjoyed_ killing them, that's all! You did it because you're a murderer. So don't you dare try to say that you love me. I won't accept it. I will never share those feelings with a monster like you. You're not worthy of being loved. You betrayed the trust I showed you! Do you have any idea what that was like for me? A child, finding out that his friend was a serial killer? You have no idea how severely you've scarred me! The only feelings you'll ever get from me are hatred, anger and disgust. I wish I'd never met you. I wish you were dead! I hate you, even more than I hate Akihiko Kayaba!” Nephthys almost drops the knife as a powerful sense of numbness floods her body. Sinon takes advantage of this, snapping her head back into Nephthys' face before struggling free. Nephthys grabs Sinon by the collar, dragging her back and causing Sinon to fall, flipping onto her back in the process. Nephthys thrusts for Sinon's heart.

“If I can't have him, no-one can!” Her hand stops in mid-air, an iron grip clenching around her wrist. As she registers this, she sees Sora's right fist hurtling towards her face. The impact is brutal. Her nose is crushed by the devastating blow, but it feels as though her entire skull has crumbled. With a single punch, Nephthys' health bar turns red. She sees Sora standing over Sinon, protecting her. Rage, hatred and envy erupt within her chest as she swaps the knife for a Halberd and charges forwards.

“DIE!!” Sora rushes forwards, both short swords in hand, his grip on them reversed. He swings upwards with the left hand sword, knocking the Halberd up and away, before launching himself into a spinning attack. He slashes Nephthys six times before stabbing her in the heart. As her health bar starts flashing, Nephthys reaches out for Sora, trying to embrace him. With his right hand sword, Sora rends Nephthys in two, separating her head, neck and left arm from the rest of her body. Both parts of Nephthys disintegrate into nothingness. Sora stands, breathing heavily for a moment, his mind racing. After a few seconds, he starts muttering to himself, his sanity spiralling off on a wild tangent. 

“I told her I'd kill her. I warned her but she wouldn't listen. She's always been a stubborn bitch. Like back then. It took a while to break her fallacy about treating the game like reality. Oh, but the game _is_ reality. Die here, die in the real world. Guess she was right then. She was right but she was wrong. Wrong right, wrong left, right left. Who's to say who is right and who is wrong? Does anyone even know any more? How do I tell the difference? Dragons exist here. They're not real so then this is a game but if we die here we really die so that makes it real. Wait. Dragons exist. Right? Saint George killed one. Susanō killed another. Komodo Dragons! They're Dragons right? So Dragons are real. So this is reality too then. Orcs aren't real though. This world has Orcs. And Lizard people. And potatoes. No wait, potatoes are real aren't they? Ahah! I have proven the nature of reality with the existence of potatoes! I'm a genius! Or am I a Genie? Maybe I'm a Jinn. No, I'm Sora you moron. But if I'm a moron I'm not a genius and if I'm not a genius then I'm wrong about potatoes being God and this world falls apart so chickens! Chickens are God instead! Everyone loves chickens even Vegetarians no wait that's bacon. Oh my. This is bacon my head spin.” Sora snorts with laughter, which only adds to his amusement. His paroxysms turn hysterical as his mental state collapses. In his fit of crazed laughter, Sora sways, falling backwards, into Sinon's arms. He knocks her to the ground as he falls, not showing any reaction to falling, or to losing his swords in the process. As Sinon cradles his head in her lap, she sees that Sora's eyes are glazed over, as if in a trance.

“Bacon! Bacon is the answer! Bacon is God God is bacon bacon is the answer to every question the solution to every problem and the proof that this world exists. I am an absolute Genie. Except bacon doesn't exist in this world. Oh cock, I've just made a booboo again. Bacon is real but Bacon doesn't exist in this world meaning this world isn't real it's a lie but then... What's the difference between a duck and a dinosaur? Pea soup! Duck doesn't go with pea soup like dinosaur does does does it? I don't know what I'm saying any more. The world is spinning around me spinning around me and I'm falling falling and I'll hit the floor and go bang and die! Die die die I'll die!” Sinon looks uncertainly at Sora, trying to understand what he's saying, and trying to figure out what she needs to say to him.

“Sora, get a hold of yourself. This isn't the time to be talking about food.” Sora rolls his head from one side to the other, then back again, as if thinking.

“If we can't talk about food why did you bring up Thyme? Parsley and Thyme. Sage... no that's a wizard right? Or a Shaman? Shaman you for talking about food and Shaman me for sausages. No wait there's something I'm missing something I'm forgetting what was it? What was it what was it what did you say? Hold, grip, hold, Sora; get a hold of yourself. How? I have no handles well maybe my ears but I don't see how that helps hang on let me try it.” Sora grabs his ears, and pokes out his tongue.

“Nope no good doesn't help. I still haven't figured out if God is real or if this world is a book and now I'm going in circles. No that's not what I wanted to say that's a lie! The cake is a lie! This game is a lie too! It's a game but we die if we die people die if they're killed so we die and stay dead and now I'm going crazy going crazy going.... crazy? We're all mad here it helps because this is no place for sane people. You can't think unless you're crazy can't live unless you're crazy can't come up with crazy solutions unless you're... well, crazy. Bat shit crazy. Bat shit is guano, guano soprano, soprano gangster, gangsters kill people kill people kill people. Am I a gangster? I didn't choose the thug life. Say Onē-sama; was I a good brother?” Sinon looks at Sora sadly, feeling concern and helplessness at Sora's situation. Yui takes over, trying to keep Sora's sanity from collapsing entirely. _Sora's mind hasn't broken completely. While the trauma has unhinged his reality, his sanity is still partial intact. That last question proves it. I just need to get him to focus, to stop chasing his thoughts as they slip through the chaos of his mind._

“Sora, slow down. Try to think before you speak. You'll only confuse yourself otherwise. Sora, think back. Think about where we are. Think about why we're here. There's a reason we're here, what was it? Sora, what do you see here?” The questions seem to cause Sora to hesitate a moment.

“See? I see blood. Blood, blood, blood, a lot of blood. I'm drowning in a river of blood, an endless ocean of blood. The people who died, the people I killed, they float around me, mocking me, taunting me, pushing me down, pulling me under, making me drown. They want me to die, I want them to succeed. I killed them, I killed them all. I killed them killed them killed them I'm a killer a killer a murderer. Kill me. Someone please, kill me. Before I kill again, before I tear apart another family, before I destroy more lives please kill me. I want to die I need to die I deserve to die. I'm a killer who keeps killing a bastard monster I don't deserve to live I don't have a right to live so kill me! No-one needs me no-one wants me no-one loves me I'm all alone on my own always alone that's my life but I don't want to live it. Who could want me who could love me who could hold the hands of a murderer? Not no-one not no how no way it's impossible no-one wants me getting blood on them so they stay away keep away push me away and I don't blame them they're right I'm Satan! I-” Sora stops mid-sentence, as he feels his hands being grasped. He looks at them, seeing Sinon's hands clasping them firmly, yet affectionately. He tilts his head back, looking at Sinon in confusion.

“You're... holding my hands? Why? The blood... it'll get on you. It'll stain you. You shouldn't hold my hands... but you are. I don't understand.” Sinon gazes into Sora's eyes sadly, trying to make sure she has his full attention before speaking.

“I'm not worried about that. My hands are already stained with blood. They have been, for nearly ten years now. So I understand what you're going through, Sora. I've felt the same way before. Like a murderer. Like a monster. Like no-one would ever or _could_ ever love me. But Sora, you need to realise that that's not true. Yes, killing people is a terrible thing, but sometimes it's unavoidable. You have the right to think about the people you've saved, and to forgive yourself for that. You saved me, Sora. You saved Kirito, and Asuna, Klein and Agil and Suguha, and so many other people. Hundreds, thousands, maybe more. Who knows how many people could have been murdered by the Player Killers if you hadn't stopped them. I know you wish you could have restrained them. I wish that had been possible as well, but what if it hadn't worked? They were of the Rogue class. Escaping capture is their speciality. They would have escaped, and they would have killed people. What if they then killed someone you know, someone you care about? Like Persia? You would hate yourself then, wouldn't you? You would wish that you had killed them instead of restraining them. It's a vicious cycle, and there are no right or wrong answers. You did the best you could to protect as many people as possible. In the end, that's what really matters. You're not a monster, Sora. You wouldn't be suffering like this if that were true. You're a good man. Even if no-one else thinks so, _I_ do. I _know_ you're a good man, so shut out everyone else, everyone who doesn't understand you, who _cannot_ understand you because they don't know what it's like. They've never been through the things that you and I have, so they have no right to judge you.” As she finishes speaking, Sinon notices that Sora's eyes seem to slide into focus, an expression of concern and understanding appearing on his face.

“I... see now. So _that's_ the answer. I never really understood why, until now.” Sinon hesitates, uncertain.

“Sora?” He takes a shaky breath, marshalling his thoughts, before continuing.

“Do you remember... the 157th Bullet of Bullets tournament? You and I fought against each other in the finale. I came crashing through the ceiling behind you, in that office building in the City Ruins area. I didn't know what your reflexes were like at that time, so I wasn't sure if you were going to shoot me with your rifle, or if you'd pull out your back up weapon. You didn't do either one. Instead, you tried to punch me as I charged at you. If it wasn't for my own reflexes, you would have hit me. As we fought, hand to hand, I saw something in your eyes that I wasn't expecting. It wasn't fear, but pain. Something had been causing you anguish. That was also the first time I'd ever gotten close to your rifle. After seeing the name, I did research on the Ultima Ratio. With the scope as well, the rifle weighs about fourteen kilograms. That's a heavy weapon really. I always wondered about that. There _are_ lighter anti-materiel rifles. Even then, I couldn't understand why it had to be an _anti-materiel_ rifle. A head shot with any physical-round rifle will kill a player, so I could never understand why it had to be the Hecate II. Not at first anyway. After a while, I came to realise that it would require very high strength stats to carry it around as you do. Anti-materiel rifles are really not supposed to be used in any other position than prone, yet I've known you to use it while standing, or even on the run. That requires a great deal of strength. Then I learned that the Ultima Ratio is a Rare Item Drop. You weren't building your strength to get that specific weapon, it was something you gained _because_ of your high strength stat. You then continued to build your strength, and the Hecate II became your signature weapon. Sniper rifles are good, but they have their drawbacks, and they're very specialised weapons. Yet you chose to sacrifice versatility in order to master that rifle. It occurred to me that you weren't just becoming strong for the sake of the gun, but for the sake of yourself. You wanted to have the strength to carry the Ultima Ratio and make it look easy. You wanted to prove to everyone in GGO that you were really strong. I theorized that you may even have hoped that your strength in-game would transfer over into the real world. Now, finally, I understand why you wanted to become stronger. It's because of the pain that I saw in your eyes that day. You wanted to have the strength to overcome that pain, and stop it from controlling your life.” Sinon stares at Sora in stunned silence for a time. _He really figured all of that out? I didn't tell him anything, not really. He figured out why it is that I carry Hecate, just by observing me and doing a little research. He's exactly right of course, which can only mean one thing_. Without meaning to, and without even realising she's doing it, Sinon smiles at Sora.

“So you're back then?” Sora frowns.

“Back? Why? Where did I go?” Sinon shakes her head. _It's best if I don't say anything about his breakdown_.

“It's difficult to say. I couldn't tell what that Succubus was doing to you exactly, but she must have been showing you illusions, based on how you reacted.” Sora furrows his brow, looking uncertain.

“Um... yeah, I think I'm remembering now. She was... pretending to be my sister. That was a low blow. It really caught me off guard, hearing her voice like that. There is a part of me that still believes she's still alive, so when I heard Akatsuki's voice, I was fooled by it. Her appearance was just as I remembered it as well, so the logical part of my mind was shut down. Even so, throughout that whole thing there was a voice nagging me at the back of my mind, telling me that there was something wrong here, that I wasn't really seeing my sister. When you reminded me of the promise I made you, to protect you above all else even at the cost of my own life, her hold over me was weakened, and the illusion collapsed before my eyes. When I realised that I had been deceived, that someone had tried impersonating Akatsuki, I was just so angry. I can't remember the last time I've ever been that furious. Everything turned red, and I lost all control. I can't remember what happened after that. My rage must have caused several memories to be repressed, possibly to safeguard my sanity. I know I ripped out that bitch's heart, but that's all. Everything else is... missing.” Sora looks around, seeing that only he, Sinon and Yui are in the chamber.

“Wait... where are the others? Did they go on ahead without us? That's dangerous isn't it?” Sinon hesitates, uncertain of how to answer. Yui comes to her rescue, sensing Sinon's hesitation.

“No, they didn't go forwards. There was a Teleport Trap in this room. They were all teleported to the entrance of the Tower. They should be back soon.” Sora sits up slowly, holding a hand to his head as the world spins.

“I hope they're alright, I just remembered something important. Remember those players down in the battlefield? I know one of them. Her name here is Nephthys. I've met her before, a lot of times. She's a notorious Player Killer, one of the worst. In Alfheim she was called Nefertiti, and because of her serial killings she nearly broke apart the Spriggan-Undine Alliance. I went through Hell proving my innocence when I became the prime suspect. If she's here, she'll probably carry on PKing, only this time she'll really be killing people. It's my fault. In ALO, I taught her that you can't really die in games. I created a monster. If she comes for us, and I'm sure she will, I'll be the one to confront her. She's strong and skilled, she learned a lot from me. She knows most of my skills as well. I've learned new tricks since I last saw her, but I'm sure she has too, so don't fight her. I'll do it. I don't know if I can capture her, but I'll try. I might have to... might have to put her down though. I hate myself for even considering it, but she's just too dangerous. She's earned millions of PKs. She could even kill Kirito and Asuna. She has to be stopped, one way or another, for the good of everyone in this game. So when the time comes, focus on the other Red Players. There's bound to be more. We'll capture them, take them to the entrance, and then teleport them to the jail. I spoke to Persia earlier and warned her that Red Players would be coming in, so they'll be prepared.” Sinon stops dead at this. _He really can't remember? He really repressed the memory of that last battle, the ambush, the fight against Johnny Black and Nephthys? All of it? I don't know what to say here, or what to do. If I remind him of what happened, that might be catastrophic. His mental state is fragile, so remembering what happened could shatter his sanity again, and chaos will ensue once more. There has to be something I can do here, some way for me to protect Sora from his own pain. At the same time though, he's bound to remember what happened sooner or later. The outcome will still be terrible, but would it be better or worse? Would Sora gradually regaining his memories naturally be less devastating overall?I think... maybe... it might be possible. If enough time can pass, if his mental state can be repaired somewhat, it might cushion the blow. It's going to be traumatic either way, but a gradual build up with buffers in place seems preferable to a sudden powerful shock. But then, what if the memories come back in the middle of a battle? He's liable to be paralysed by them, isn't he? If he's paralysed in the midst of combat, he could be seriously injured. He could even die. So... what do I do?_ Sora rises to his feet, stretching and yawning, before retrieving his short swords. As he sheaths them, the doors swing wide open, Kirito and the others rushing in, weapons at the ready. Sora throws up a victory sign, though he doesn't feel like smiling.

“Alrighty then. Now that we're all back together, let's push on. We're almost at the end. Just the Antechamber and the Boss Room to go. We're not going to get much time to rest though I'm afraid. Like I already said; after this quest we pretty much go straight into a Scripted Event. I can't say I'm looking forward to it, but the longer we procrastinate, the more daunting its prospect becomes. So let's just get it over and done with now, okay?” Asuna falters, Sora's behaviour not being what she had expected.

“Wait-” Sora cuts her off sharply.

“Didn't I just say that we _shouldn't_ be doing that? Whatever you want us to stop and wait around for, _that's_ what can wait. Anything you want to talk about, any questions you want to ask, any of that crap can wait until we've knocked out the Scripted Event. In case you've forgotten, there's nearly 2.8 million people trapped in this world. The sooner we get them out of here, the better, for all of us. Their safety should be our top priority. So let's go, and make sure that their safety isn't endangered.” Klein speaks up, noticing something odd.

“Are your wings supposed to glow like that?” Everyone glances at Klein for a moment, and then to Sora, who frantically spins himself around, trying to see his own wings. After a few seconds of struggling, he curves his left wing into his view. Sure enough, the skin glows scarlet, while the silver runic patterns shine white. The sight causes Sora a lot of confusion.

“That's... weird. I mean... yeah, technically they _are_ supposed to glow, but not yet. They're supposed to glow when I reach Level 14, signifying that my wings are fully formed but... I shouldn't be that high level yet. Based on the enemies I've killed, I should only just be Level 13. There's about twenty-two thousand XP unaccounted for. Did I get some kind of XP bonus or something? I suppose it's possible. Maybe I gained the extra experience from completing a Special Award. I guess that'd make sense? I'm not really sure. All I know is, I'm Level 14 now. Once this quest finishes and we receive all our rewards, my wings will finish forming, and I'll be able to learn how to fly. That's pretty cool, I just wish it hadn't caught me by surprise. It's thrown me off now. I'll have to get my game face back on. Well anyway, we should get a move on, before more monsters spawn in. I wouldn't rule out another Succubus appearing, and I really could do without facing _that_ ordeal again.” Sora starts walking, Sinon falling into step beside him, leaving everyone else behind. Asuna looks confused and unsettled. _What's going on here? Is he pretending those Red Players never existed? Where_ are _they anyway?_ Yui flutters down onto Asuna's shoulder, speaking in a low voice so that Sora and Sinon can't hear.

“It's best if you don't ask about the Red Players. It was a nightmare scenario. Nebula... suffered severe emotional and psychological trauma in the battle, and his sanity almost collapsed. One of the Red Players was a friend of his from ALO. Learning that she had become a murderer, was apparently extremely damaging. He was forced to kill her in order to protect Sinon, and in doing so severely damaged his own mental state. Sinon and I are working on repairing the damage to this, but it's not a quick process, or an easy one. The best thing we can do for him right now is to avoid bringing up that fight. He will suffer far less if he remembers naturally than if he is reminded. This way, we can repair some of the damage, and prevent a total collapse into psychosis. Sinon's working as hard as she can to that end, attempting to lift his spirits and undo the trauma at the same time. If we want to make it out of here in one piece, we'll have to prioritise maintaining Nebula's mental state.” Kirito looks concerned.

“He lost a friend in that encounter? I don't think I could imagine what he must be going through. How's his morale? He's pushing us on, but is he fit to do that?” Yui falls silent for a moment.

“Well... currently his morale is high enough to engage in combat. He's in a fairly good mood, for the time being, but he wasn't earlier. During the encounter with the Succubus, Nebula rated as an 88% suicide risk, more than double the level following his battle with Elric. I'm not sure who his sister was, but it's clear that she meant the world to him. He held himself fully accountable for her death, even before the Succubus made him think she was blaming him for it. Right now though, he's less than 2% suicide risk. That's even lower than Sinon.” Asuna and Kirito both look shocked by this.

“What? Sinon is-” Yui cuts them off with an urgent hush, hoping that no-one overheard that outcry.

“It's only a marginal difference. Even so, something's troubling her. Greatly. She's intensely worried about Nebula, and she's blaming herself for what happened, both with the Succubus and with the Red Players. More specifically, she hates herself for being captured and held hostage by Nebula's friend, and a part of her wishes she'd killed them instead. She feels that she should have done anything possible to lessen his trauma.” Asuna glances ahead, observing Sora and Sinon as the pair leads the way up the stone spiral staircase.

“She really cares about him, doesn't she? I don't think I've ever seen her behave that way with a guy before. Ever since the Death Gun killings, she's kept guys at arm's length. When I heard about Kyōji Shinkawa, and how he'd wanted to be the one to kill Sinon; I understood why she always distanced herself from everyone, and came to expect it from her. Now, she's letting herself get close to him. Sometimes it even seems like she's pushing herself closer to him. I've never seen that behaviour from Sinon before. It worries me.” Kirito picks up the thread, knowing what Asuna is thinking.

“You're worried that Nebula's going to turn out like Kyōji, that he's going to hurt Sinon, or even try to kill her. You're worried that he'll betray the trust she's showing him. So I'm not the only one who doesn't trust him. I feel the same concern that you do. There's always been things about him that's bugged me. Not just the fact that he was already so high level when he brought us in either. He possesses considerable skill as an Info Miner, and he was able to bring us into the game, but he can't block the algorithm that prevents logouts? He's strong enough to kill a Level 6 Boss in a single hit, or take out a Spirit, but he isn't strong enough to reach the Tower of the Gods? What about his killing spree in the first chamber? I haven't seen skills like that since Zekken, yet he acts as though he's weak. I don't know of anyone who could have blocked Starburst Stream the way he did, or who could take on Elric and live to tell the tale. Well, no-one except Heathcliff. He knows way too much about this game as well. We have an employee from QZR Studios who knows less about DCO than he does. That shouldn't be possible. Just who is he?” Yui answers, somewhat distantly.

“When the time is right for you to know, he'll tell you. He has all the answers you seek, but at the moment, he can't trust you with them. It's just as he said yesterday: there's no trust, from you or from him. If you want answers, you're going to have to learn to trust him, and show him that he can trust you as well. Do that, and our chances of survival increase as well. Until then, we're all in danger, being jeopardised by distrust and suspicion.” Asuna glances at Yui.

“You trust him?” Yui nods.

“So far, I haven't seen any reason _not_ to trust him. He's saved my life three times in two days, putting his life on the line each time. He risked his life to save Agil, and Suguha, and even you daddy. Even though he doesn't trust us, and even though he knows most of us don't trust him, he doesn't hesitate to risk dying in order to protect us from harm. Don't you see? He places more value on our lives than he does on his own. How can I not trust him after realising that? You see him as a threat, and suspect that he means to harm Sinon, but you're wrong. He would never do that. I know that much about him, even if I don't know everything. Sinon's become an important part of his life. Even by her just being there for him, Nebula's able to keep going when most other people would simply give up or break down. She's the only thing keeping him alive right now. He can't afford to lose her, and she can't afford to lose him either. Not now that she realises how she feels about him.” Asuna does a double take, looking at Yui in shock. Sinon's voice interrupts her.

“What is it Nebula? Can you tell what's in the next room?” The group turns its attention on Sora at this stage.

“For certain? No, but I know what my instincts tell me. They tell me that we're walking into an ambush. I just realised it. Where in this Tower would be the best place for Red Players to wait for their prey? It wouldn't be any of the prior chambers. We'd be too strong, too alert to make effective prey. It wouldn't be in the Boss Room either. Only a party challenging the Boss can enter that room. Even in dungeons where no actual Boss Room exists, a challenge area is still present, sealed off by an invisible barrier. So they couldn't get to us there. Waiting for the Boss to be killed would be stupid. The quest would be completed, so we'd level up, equip better weapons and armour. Then there's the fact that we'd teleport away rather than walk back through the dungeon. So there's only one suitable location for a trap: The Antechamber. That's where we'll be the most exhausted from battle, where our alertness will be lessened by fatigue, and where our focus will solely be on the final battle. I know those were Red Players outside. Natalie was amongst them. After all these years, she's still as predictable as ever. She keeps naming herself after Egyptian Goddesses. The woman we spoke to was called Nephthys. That's an Egyptian Goddess, one of death. It's Natalie, without a doubt, but she's out _there_. Well, she _was_. Undoubtedly she's followed us in, probably using spells to go invisible. Which means there's a second group of Player Killers hiding in the next room. Stay sharp, and be ready for anything. I know this'll be a difficult thing to do, but try to avoid killing them. Persia's got the Kraler Guard on standby, waiting for Red Players. Teleport them straight to the jail, let Persia take it from there. She can handle a lot more than her short stature would have you believe, take my word on that one. She's one of the top twenty GGO players, and one of the few whose skill is acknowledged by Virtual Demon. She plays ALO as well, and she's the strongest Imp there, without a doubt. So don't worry about her.” Sinon looks at Sora sadly.

“Nebula...” He smiles reassuringly.

“It's okay. We'll be fine, I promise. It doesn't matter how strong Natalie is, she's always been second best to me. She was never able to keep up with me. She can't quite get the feel of VR gaming. I've faced her hundreds of times before, this time won't be any different. I'll protect you all from her, and as many other Reds as I can manage, so don't worry about it. You have my word that we'll be just fine. You'll see.” Sora pushes open the double doors before anyone can object, and leads the way inside. The Antechamber is dimly lit, very much so despite the long walls being purely transparent glass. Each of the two long walls is eight metres long and eight metres high, made from a single pane of glass. The world outside is bright, and yet the room inside is as dark as the late evening. The room is only three metres wide, with six stone pillars running in two columns in the middle of the room. Each pillar has a small torch mounted on it, blazing with purple flames. The light from these flames only extends to about one metre at best, before the shadows consume the light. Sora moves up quickly, scanning around, scrutinizing every nook and cranny with glowing eyes. The chamber is silent, the sound of their footsteps seeming strangely subdued. As Sora loops around the chamber twice, he frowns, feeling confused and uneasy. _Something doesn't add up here. There aren't any players, but there aren't any monsters either. My All-Seeing Eyes can reveal anything that is invisible, and yet they show me nothing at all. I don't even see evidence of a battle. What happened to the Red Players? They should be here, shouldn't they? Am I thinking too strategically? Or is there a monster that can escape even the All-Seeing Eyes? Some kind of Wraith or other Spectral being? There must be an explanation, and I intend to find it_. Sora holds out his right hand.

“Skrisha.” A pulse of purple light races through the chamber, providing a brief moment of illumination. Sora's frown deepens as his Scanning Spell picks up nothing. _In that case_...

“Skrisha Seskinara!” The light that erupts from Sora's hand is a much more intense purple, and almost blinding to look at. Instead of a racing pulse, the light travels in a slow and steady wave that washes over the chamber gradually. Sinon walks over to Sora as the light fades away.

“Nebula-” Sora interrupts her, anticipating her words.

“I know. There's no-one here. I didn't need to scan twice to figure that out, but it's still strange. Perhaps I'm overestimating our opponents. It wouldn't be the first time, and it won't be the last. For whatever reason, there's no-one here. No monsters either. There _were_ monsters here, but they've been killed. So there _must_ have been players here at some point, but we've already established that there's nobody here but us. I can't figure out why that is. I can't think clearly for some reason. There's something wrong, something strange, something... ticking?” Sinon looks confused by that last word. Klein looks over at Sora as well.

“Ticking? Did you just say ticking?” Sora tilts his head, straining his ears to try and hear better. After a moment, the sound reaches him again; a rhythmic ticking, coming from behind him, from the doors to the Boss Room. Sora walks towards the doors and hovers his left ear just before them, the ticking ringing loudly through his head now.

“Now that's a rhythm I could set my watch to. It's perfect, flawless. One tick every second. Such a rhythmic pattern isn't natural. There's no deviation in the frequency of ticks. That's an artificial creation, a mechanism. I really hope I'm wrong about this.” Sora places both hands on the doors, but he doesn't push them open.

“Dereskrisha Seskinara.” Another pulse of purple light emits from Sora's hands, but this time, it seems to trace the outlines of mechanical objects inside the doors, which have become almost translucent. The spell finishes its surge through the door, highlighting an intricate assembly of gears and cogs, all connected to a central structure. Four different dials fade into existence on the surface of the door, arranged at each corner of the central structure. Sora lets out a disappointed sigh.

“I'm not wrong. I was hoping I would be, but I'm spot on. This'll be a pain in the arse.” Sinon examines the mechanical network.

“What is it? Some kind of mechanical lock?” Sora shakes his head.

“If only. I could handle that quite easily. No, this is far worse than that. It's a bomb. A _magic_ bomb to be precise. These four dials disarm the bomb and unlock the door. Figuring out the code for each dial will be hard enough as it is, but there's bound to be some order to follow when inputting the codes. If I knew the correct order for turning the dials, then I can disarm the bomb. Maybe. Certainly with that rotary dial on the top left. It's just like a safe dial. I just have to listen to the dial as I'm turning it, hear the spheres drop into the tumblers. The rest, well they'll be more challenging. There should be clues here, hints that allow the players to discern the correct unlocking order and help us to figure out the combination codes.” Suguha glances around doubtfully.

“But... we already searched this room. You even scanned it. Twice. We didn't find anything. The only things in this room are the pillars and the torches.” Sora's head jerks suddenly.

“Torches... of course! I should have seen that sooner, it's a trick that I myself have used. The clues we seek are written upon the torches. Most likely in some form of a code.” Sora runs off, leaving the others momentarily confused. He collects two torches from the left hand pillars before Sinon joins him, collecting torches from the right hand pillars. Both bring the torches back to the door, where they examine the torches in the pooled light of their flames. Sure enough, the torches bear engravings, in more than one language. Sora examines the first set of engravings, written in a jagged script vaguely similar to runes.

“Abyssal writing. Well, it's a good thing I'm a Hellborne then. 'The number of teeth in seven Slimes, the number of Venusian days in a Venusian year, the number of Kings on the Hundredth Floor, and the number of legs on the Manx Flag.' That's what it says. That's the combination of one of these locks. Slimes have no teeth, so that's zero. A day on Venus lasts 243 Earth Days, while a Venusian years lasts around 225 Earth days, so would that be zero or one? Most likely, it's one. Kings on the Hundredth Floor... of Aincrad? The Seven Kings of Hell? That'd make sense. 'Manx' is a term relating to the Isle of Man, in Britain. As memory recalls, the flag of the Isle of Man is three legs extending outwards from a central point, kind of like they appear in cartoons when a character runs really fast, you know? So then, this combination is 0173, I believe. I just need to figure out when I'm supposed to input that code. Oh! I see. There's also a number engraved here. It's a Roman numeral: IV. But does that mean it goes in last, or that it's just code number four? We'll just have to keep looking.” Sinon smiles faintly.

“That was fast. I have to agree with your assessment too. Here's code number two, written in Elven. 'The month of Caesar, the month of Burns, the month of Harvest, and the month of Fools.' I think I know the last two, but those first two? I'm missing something.” Sora frowns, thinking over the riddle.

“The month of Harvest would be September, or nine. The months of Fools is April, or four. I believe the month of Burns refers to Burns Night, which is celebrated in January, so one. As for Caesar... do they mean Julius Caesar or Augustus Caesar I wonder? The month of August gets its name from Augustus, while Julius became July. It seems reasonable to me to assume that they refer to Julius. Therefore the combination would be 7194. Right?” Sinon raises an eyebrow.

“So I _was_ right about the last two. I think you're right about the first two as well. When we hear the name Caesar, we immediately think of Julius Caesar. It'd be more likely to refer to him than to Augustus. It'll be difficult enough for players to make the connection as it is, without having to fret over which Caesar is mentioned in the riddle.” Sora nods, then looks at another torch. The engraving is a beautiful, graceful script, fluid and elegant with it's flawless loops and subtle ripples. He looks up at Asuna.

“This one's all yours. It's written in Fae. I know that much, but I can't read it. I'm not seeing a number on this anywhere, so it either decides the order, or else... well actually I'm not sure what else it could be. A warning perhaps?” Asuna steps forwards and takes the torch, before looking at the engraving. She has to read it silently several times before speaking up, sounding a little confused.

“It's not about the order of the codes. It doesn't seem to mention orders at all. This is an unusual riddle, to say the least. 'The Dark God of a thousand stars, a radiant fury the colour of Mars. Houses fall to the sweeping gale, when confronted by this you shall surely pale. If you treasure all you hold dear, you'll steel your nerve not give in to fear. A hundred boons I shall bestow upon thee, the one or many who slay the brothers three.' That's what it says. Is it a clue about the boss by any chance?” Asuna looks at Sora and flinches, seeing fear upon his face. Sinon sees it too, and concern floods through her.

“What is it Nebula?” Sora shakes his head slowly before speaking, his voice ringing with disbelief.

“It... can't be. I know this game is supposed to be hard, but that's taking the piss. One of them we could handle. We might even defeat two, just about. Three of them though? I didn't think the final room was large enough to accommodate them. Even if they can't fly around, but that'll only make things more dangerous. They're immune to fire, so they'd only have to turn the room into a furnace and that's it, game over. As the only one with fire immunity, I'd be the sole survivor. What was QZR Studios thinking with this? How in the world is a party of low level players supposed to beat a trio of Dragons?” Everyone flinches at the final question, shocked by the revelation. Kirito sounds desperate as he speaks.

“Dragons? Are you sure? How can you tell? I mean, that riddle didn't give away much. You could be wrong.” Sora shakes his head.

“I'm not. I know I'm not. The first line refers to Dragon-breath, while the second line refers to the wind whipped up by their flight. Since Eastern Dragons are portrayed as being wingless, this can only refer to Western Dragons. In addition to their large powerful wings, they're also more ferocious to look at, hence the 'pale in fear' part. The riddle refers to 'The Dark God of a thousand stars.' This was one of the names given to Gra'alkur, the Black Dragon from Dragon's Reign Online. In other words, behind that door there are three Black Dragons of the Western variety.” The group gasps as renewed shock flows through them. Klein can do nothing about the quavering of his voice.

“H-how... how do we win? Is it possible? Should we go back and level up some more?” Sora shakes his head.

“Bad idea. There's the Red Players for a start. If we head back, we'll run into them. Then there's the matter of the forfeit. This is a Destiny Quest, one of the main storyline quests. It'll have a severe penalty for forfeiting. We'll lose half our levels _and_ half our inventory, as well as all of our gold. We've got weapons and armour we can't afford to lose. If we forfeit, there's no telling what we'll end up losing. Sinon's got one of the ten best armour items. She's not likely to get that Astral Cloak again, or anything of equal quality. I could lose my best sword. We could _all_ lose our best weapons, and then this game will become a great deal harder. Forfeiting now could delay our completion of the game by weeks, months... even years. There's no telling what the consequences will be exactly. Right now, we're as strong as we're going to be. We won't get any stronger. This is our best and perhaps only chance to clear the dungeon. We can be more cautious in future, but right now we have no other options.” Asuna looks appalled by the suggestion.

“But that's insane! We can't possibly take on three Dragons as we are now! If we die, we really die! We can't save anyone if we're dead!” Sora opens his menu and navigates the sub-menus.

“Since this game started, seven thousand two hundred and nineteen players have died. Make that seven thousand two hundred and twenty. Players are dying as we speak. If we forfeit, how many more will die? How many will die as we level up? How many will die as we grind endlessly to compensate for our lost inventory? Ten thousand? One hundred thousand? One million? Their blood will be on our hands. I already have blood on mine, and I don't want more. What about you? How much blood is on your hands? How much blood do you _want_ on your hands? If we delay, yours will be stained too. All of you will end up with blood on your hands. Can you live with that? Can you live with yourself, knowing that countless people have died because you would have us run away? I won't live like that. I won't live my life constantly blaming myself for running away instead of fighting. I already blame myself for the deaths of the seven thousand victims so far. I don't want to have to blame myself for the deaths of seven thousand more, or seventy thousand, or seven hundred thousand. I'd go insane, and probably kill myself. I'd rather die fighting than die lamenting. So I'm pushing on. I'll face those three Dragons with everything I've got. If I win, we beat this game that much quicker. If I die... replace me. Seek out Persia. She'll need a stern talking to, probably a good hard smack as well, but she'll see reason in time. She's an Info Merchant so she knows a lot about this game and the monsters in it, and she's a skilled fighter. She's the best option for replacing me.” Sora stands, grabbing the three remaining torches at once. He only glances at them, before tossing them aside again. As he walks towards the door, Sinon stands as well.

“If you're fighting, then I'll have to fight too. You can't solo three Dragons using swords, no matter how skilled you are. You'll need ranged support. I've got a powerful bow, and as you said; one of the ten best armour items. I can hold my own well enough, as long as you don't get me killed.” Sora hesitates at the door, glancing back at Sinon. Yui perches on Sinon's shoulder.

“If you're taking on Dragons, you'll need magical assistance. I can protect Sinon from the flames and assist her in striking from a distance. I can heal you too, as long as you give me enough time to.” Agil joins them.

“The possibility of death didn't stop me from fighting the Skull Reaper. I'd never live down the shame of running away from a few overgrown newts. I'll cover your back if you'll cover mine. Besides, I owe you for the fight against Mawlocke.” Suguha stands with the others as well.

“Since we're talking about debts, I owe you too, for saving me in the tunnels. You don't just need a tank at your back, you need a swift blade by your side. As a Scout, I'm the fastest player here. Dragons can't bite what they can't catch, so as long as you keep them from burning me, we'll be fine.” Kirito pats Suguha on the shoulder.

“She might be the fastest runner, but the fastest blades are mine. As the strongest player in SAO, you'll need my help more than you might be willing to admit. Besides, I've fought Dragons before, so I know a few things that'll help us out.” Asuna steps in with a sigh.

“Honestly, you're all mad. You're going to need me if you want to survive. We can't leave all the healing to Yui, so I'll need to help her out. Besides, you owe me a good few explanations, so I can't have you dying without giving me answers.” Klein fidgets nervously before standing with his friends.

“A warrior never runs from battle. Besides, I'm not about to let my friends run head first into battle without me. I don't know how much help I can be, but I'll give it everything I've got. You owe me a drink for this though. A drink, and then a dozen more.” All eyes turn to Cassandra, who shakes her head.

“You guys never fail to surprise me. You've got guts, I'll give you that much, but guts alone won't be enough. Dragons can't hit what they can't see. As a Shade, I can melt into the shadows and evade them, before striking them where they're weakest. We'd better survive this, or I'll kick your arse for all eternity.” Sinon turns back to Sora, who looks bemused.

“There you have it. We're all in. So, what's the plan hotshot?” Sora turns back to the door, and starts inputting the combinations.

“Those were some cute speeches, but if we follow through with all those as is, we're fucked. Yui, Asuna, Cassandra: you're our magic users, so you need to stay back and focus on Healing and Shielding Spells. Don't attack the Dragons or they'll aggro on you, and that'll complicate matters. Sinon: you may have the best armour here, but that won't stop the Dragons from biting your head off. Stay close to our Spellcasters and focus on ranging. Dragons have two fire glands in the throat, so those are your first targets. Whatever you do, do _not_ try to get the Doyouthinkhesaurus Award. The last thing we need is a blind Dragon rampaging in a tiny chamber. Sure, it'll hurt the other Dragons, but it'll also shred us like wet tissue. Once the fire glands are dealt with, focus on hitting any open wounds you can see, and pile on the pain that way. Agil; your shield has fire resistance, but if all three Dragons concentrate their flames on you, that shield will melt pretty damn fast. Stay mobile, don't depend on the shield too heavily, and you should be okay. Kirito, Klein, Leafa; you guys are fast, but your weapons are pretty average. Focus on protecting each other more than on trying to get good hits in. Only strike when a counter-attack is impossible, and even then do it in unison.” The group nods, understanding their roles. Sinon then looks concerned.

“What about you? What's your part to play in this fight?” Sora hesitates, his hand hovering over the last lock. He inputs the final code slowly, dragging it out deliberately as he speaks.

“I'm immune to fire, and I'm the highest level. I have the strongest swords, the most strength, and the deadliest Sword Skills. I've probably also killed more Dragons than the rest of you combined. There is only one role I can play in this fight: I need to take the full ferocity of these Dragons, and respond in kind, slashing open their armour and giving you all weak spots to exploit.” Sinon gasps at this.

“You can't be serious!-” Any further words are drowned out as the doors grind open, scraping against the floor deafeningly. Sora takes a step forwards then flinches. Inside the final chamber, three ferocious Black Dragons stand, five metres tall, all united against a fourth White Dragon.

“What the...?”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 3rd 2030 – 1356 JST**

Daichi Shiraishi and Seijirō Kikuoka stand together at the head of QZR Studios' conference room. Seated around the table are a number of other people. On the left side of the table sit four people. The first two are a man and woman in their late forties. The woman has short dark hair and the stern, sharp eyes of a keen academic, and the rigid poise of a powerful and wealthy individual. The man has very short greying hair, his hairline receding. Wrinkles line his face, adding to his age. Next to them sits a younger woman, appearing in her late thirties, with her long black hair tied back. Only her black eyes hint at her true age, showing exhaustion as much as concern. At the end sits a graceful woman with long blonde hair tied back, out of her kind green eyes. She looks to be in her twenties, but the Crow's Feet say otherwise. On the right side of the table, another four people sit. Two are men wearing police uniforms. One man is in his early fifties, hair entirely grey and face severely wrinkled. Despite this he maintains a calm exterior. His colleague appears to be half his age, his short black hair kept out of his piercing blue eyes by the pair of steel-framed glasses. The combination gives him an exceptionally stern expression. Beside the police officers sits a third man, in his mid thirties. Nothing about his appearance is likeable, from his weasel-like face and hungry green eyes, to his calculating smile and smug air of arrogance. His attire screams 'Lawyer'. At the end of the table is a fourth man, early thirties. His white shoulder-length hair and pale blue eyes are a stark contrast to the other occupants of the room. His expression is a mixture of concern and curiosity. There is also an air of impatience about him, particularly noticeable in the way he fidgets almost constantly. Kikuoka addresses the group as a whole.

“Now that we're all here, I'll start by making introductions. My name is Seijirō Kikuoka. I'm the head of the Ministry of Internal Affair's VR Division, though nearly eight years ago, I was with the SAO Crisis Response team. My companion here is Daichi Shiraishi, Director of QZR Studios. To my left we have Kyōko and Shōzō Yūki, Midori Kirigaya, and Katherine Mills. To my right we have Chief Inspector Ryōhei Takanashi and Officer Hiro Fukuyama from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Atsushi Nishimura from Tokyo Supreme Court, and Shiro Sakagami. You each have your reasons for coming here today, and I aim to address each of those reasons to the best of my ability, and see that you each attain satisfactory results.” Kikuoka pauses a moment before continuing, his expression becoming more serious.

“I'll keep this brief so as not to waste your time. As you all know, the anti-VR group known as Reality Bytes has taken control of QZR Studio's VRMMO: Destiny's Calling Online. They infiltrated the system in a single rapid manoeuvre that went undetected until they revealed their presence to the players. All safety systems were deactivated, and an algorithm was triggered, one which prevents the players from logging out. Without the safety systems in place, it is possible for players killed in the game to also die in the real world. With the pain limiters reversed, the players are capable of receiving extreme levels of pain, inducing a state of shock that results in death. Several attempts were made to circumvent this: removal of the Full-Dive gear, interruption of the power supply and so on. Each attempt resulted in the death of the player. Here are the details that have not been made publicly available. Firstly; the very same Reality Bytes criminals who hacked the game have themselves been trapped within it. Secondly; a player who we initially referred to as Nebula claims responsibility for trapping Reality Bytes, before making a request for a Rescue Team to be sent into the the game. Thirdly; a Rescue Team consisting of SAO Survivors and VRMMO veterans voluntarily entered the game to work with Nebula in protecting the trapped players. These players have made contact with Nebula and one other; Asada Shino, player name Sinon. The team is attempting to clear the game, to defeat Reality Bytes, in order to free the trapped players. These are the facts, the things that we know without any doubt. We have much more information, but all of it requires confirmation or clarification.” Inspector Takanashi speaks first.

“You mentioned that other players were brought into the game. How was this accomplished? It was my understanding that no players were permitted entry to the game, that they were being blocked by the same algorithm that is preventing players from leaving.” Kikuoka nods.

“For the most part this is true. However, the player who trapped Reality Bytes, Nebula, he was the one who made it possible to bring players into the game. He diverted the attention of the hackers before temporarily disrupting the algorithm, allowing players to enter.” Officer Fukuyama chips in.

“Why bring players in? Why not send players out instead? If he could disrupt the algorithm, surely that would have been the better idea.” Shiraishi answers instead of Kikuoka.

“We can think of two reasons why he chose not to. The first is the sheer number of players that require logging out. He could only disrupt the algorithm for a little while, which would have allowed him to free, at best; five hundred players. That's barely a scratch on the 2.8 million trapped inside. There's no telling what could have happened to the players who would have been logging out as the algorithm came back online. It's possible that they could have died. Then there's the retribution of Reality Bytes to consider. A figurative jail break like that would come at the cost of reprisal killings. Reality Bytes would have slaughtered thousands in order to maintain their dominance. Saving hundreds at the cost of thousands is not an acceptable option. The second is Nebula's limitations. By his own admission, he is not as skilled at hacking as Reality Bytes. Analysis of his disruption supports that. He used a very basic strategy to achieve the result he managed. He's not capable of disabling the algorithm properly, permanently. So instead, he's taking up arms in order to free the trapped players. However, he's concerned that he will not be strong enough to complete the game alone. Not quickly at least. He admits that his skills alone won't make enough of a difference, especially if he makes a fatal mistake. He believes that, assuming he doesn't die, it could take him as long as ten years to complete the game by himself. He called in assistance to greatly reduce that time, and to help him ensure that as many people return from the game as possible.” It is Nishimura's turn to speak now, and he jumps upon the situation ruthlessly, like a scavenger preying on a dying animal.

“And what makes you think that this Nebula person can be trusted? What evidence has he provided that he isn't himself a member of Reality Bytes. For all we know, you could have just sent a group of people into a hostage situation, only for them to become hostages themselves. That's if they're even still alive.” Kikuoka speaks before Shiraishi can, answering more calmly than his companion appears capable of doing.

“They _are_ alive, first and foremost. I can assure you of that. Suspicions about Nebula were raised at first, but his association with Shino-san, who herself is friends with each member of the Rescue Team, put him in a better light. Then there is the fact that he put his own life on the line to stop the trapped players from panicking themselves into a blood bath. He brought himself to the brink of death in order to protect every single one of them. Lastly, there is his identity itself, which we believe stands as evidence of his trustworthiness.” Fukuyama looks curiously at Kikuoka.

“You know who he is? You know Nebula's identity?” Kikuoka nods.

“We do. Nebula is, in actuality, an internationally renowned celebrity. You're probably familiar with his game handle: Virtual Demon.” Midori jolts in surprise at this.

“Huh? The VR Nightmare? For real? I was under the impression that he wasn't going to play DCO. Something about it being pointless to play an impossible game.” Kyōko glances across her husband at Midori.

“You know this Virtual Demon, Midori?” Ms Kirigaya nods.

“That's right. Both Kazuto and Suguha speak about him a lot. I've overheard them having conversations about him. He's the world's number one VRMMO player. No-one has ever been able to defeat him, or so I hear. But I've only ever heard of him playing solo. To hear that he's playing a team game, and working with a team, it's quite unexpected.” Shiro interjects.

“Normally, he _would_ be playing solo still, but these are extenuation circumstances. He's already admitted that he has doubts about being able to do this alone, so he's having to work as part of a team instead. That could lead to problems, friction further down the line. Team work generally requires the team members to get to know one another, to form bonds. Virtual Demon has a track record of pushing people away, keeping them at arm's length at best. He doesn't respond well in groups. He's not very sociable. He's always preferred solitude. For the last few years anyway. It was different when he was younger, but several incidents changed that, impacting upon his psychological state severely.” Kikuoka regards the man curiously.

“I'm sorry, I'm afraid that of everyone here, you're the only one I know nothing about. You're here to represent Virtual Demon, correct? Were you the one he corresponded with?” Shiro shakes his head.

“No, it wasn't me. My name's Shiro Sakagami. I'm here on behalf of Virtual Demon's proxy; Dr Victor Samson. What I know about Virtual Demon is only what Dr Samson briefed me on. Dr Samson himself is taking care of Virtual Demon's body during this crisis, so he was unable to attend. I've not been briefed about any correspondence, but I know it wasn't me. I've never met nor even spoken with Virtual Demon, here or in the virtual world. I've never had any reason to.” Kyōko speaks next, interrupting everyone else.

“So what can you tell us about this Virtual Demon? What have you been briefed to tell us?” Shiro sighs, before pulling a file from within his white jacket.

“Not all that much, overall. Real name Sora Seiun, though he prefers to use the surname Saki. No reason has been given for that preference. Sora is seventeen years old, he'll be eighteen in December. He's been receiving medical treatment for a condition since 2022. He started playing VRMMOs several months before the SAO Incident ended, starting with Alfheim Online. Since then, he's become the strongest player in more than seven hundred VRMMO games. He's motivated beyond measure, but I've not been told why. He's passionate about the virtual world though, that's for sure. He's been an active campaigner for the ejection of Reality Bytes from Japan since 2024, and even started a petition to have them extradited to North Korea in 2026. He vehemently opposes them, and I can understand why. To say that Sora's childhood was tragic would be an understatement. In 2014, when Sora was just twenty months old, his mother died from Breast Cancer. During the Olympics in 2020, with Sora aged seven, his father was killed in a botched mugging. His twin brother Tsubasa commit suicide shortly after that. For two years, Sora lived alone with his older sister Akatsuki, until she became one of the players trapped inside Sword Art Online. In 2023, Akatsuki died. The exact reason for her death is unknown. Since it is forbidden to speak about that crisis, a proper investigation was never conducted. Since that time, Sora has lived under the care of Dr Samson, who became his personal physician in order to monitor the boy 24/7. There were many objections to this, but something happened which ended the objections. I don't know what that was. Those are the facts that I've been given. That's what I've been briefed on.” Kyōko looks absolutely perplexed by the statement.

“He lost his sister to that death game, but he plays in the virtual world anyway? You even said that he was passionate about it. Why? What is it about the virtual world that lures so many to it, even those who survived that game. It was the same with Asuna. She still uses that machine despite losing two years of her life to it. But why?” Shiro shrugs.

“I can't say with any certainty. His reasoning wasn't included in the briefing, but I think it might be... I think he's searching for an answer. Akatsuki's death, it was sudden, and devastating. No investigation was launched, but there are plenty of ways she could have died in that game. I think Sora is searching for an exact answer. For the past four years, there have been a number of rumours circulating online. One of these states that the spirit of Akihiko Kayaba wanders the virtual world, showing himself only to the greatest gamers. It was shortly after this rumour started that Sora began rising to fame. I think it's safe to surmise from that, that he's seeking an audience with Kayaba. He wants to know exactly how his sister died, and possibly he wants to avenge her death as well. Losing her was so devastating that he would chase a rumour with everything he has, in order to get a definite answer. I don't think he ever planned on enjoying VRMMOs, but they opened up a whole world of opportunities to him, which I know has happened to many who once criticised the virtual world. It's also possible that he's desperate to hold onto the joy that VRMMOs have brought him. He lived such a dark and pain-filled life, having his entire family stolen from him. It seems perfectly natural that he would seize something that brings him happiness and cling to it for all it's worth.” Kathy looks at Shiro, scrutinizing him intensely.

“But is he truly trustworthy? His motivation may be a source of strength for him, but it's also dangerous. There's every possibility that his hatred of Reality Bytes may end up putting the others at risk. Andrew is in there. He's one of the members of this Rescue Team. I don't like the thought of him dying because of some grief-driven vendetta.” Shiro holds his nerve and meets Kathy's gaze.

“As I said, I've never met Sora personally, but I've been assured that he _is_ trustworthy. His motivation aside, he won't act recklessly if it means losing someone. Dr Samson tells me that he and Sinon are friends. Sora won't take any action that will see her coming to harm. He can't afford to even _risk_ losing anyone else. If the others befriend him as well, then he'll protect them with his life. He knows what he needs to do. He knows that the lives of the trapped players rate higher than his own. He'll do everything he can to free as many of them as possible, even at the cost of his life. To that end, it is my opinion and the opinion of Dr Samson that Sora can absolutely be trusted to resolve this crisis as quickly as he is able to.” Kathy sits back, having nothing further to say. Kikuoka nods, seeming satisfied.

“I'm sure he will. Even so, there's a limit to what can be achieved from within the game. Nebula, or Sora rather, informed us that there will be members of Reality Bytes operating outside of virtual reality, in the real world. They'll be monitoring the conditions of the colleagues who are diving, as well as doing everything in their power to undo the damage that Sora caused them. The longer they're allowed to act freely, the greater the odds of their success. We're working together with the Metropolitan Police to try and locate a base of operations, from which Reality Bytes is diving and carrying out its crimes. Sora believes that this is likely to be some form of warehouse in Japan, possibly even in the Tokyo area. We're doing everything in our power to complete this search as quickly as possible, but there are a great many potential locations for them to be operating from. Searching all of these premises is time consuming. It is important that we find them however, in order to apprehend these criminals and prevent their real world operatives from interfering with events in the virtual world. If these people are left unchecked, they'll cause no end of problems for the Rescue Team. As skilled a player as Sora may be, he's defenceless against external threats such as those. We'll need to prevent those threats from being posed so that the Rescue Team can function at its best. The only question that remains is how long it will take them to clear the game.” Midori seems confident as she answers.

“This is the VR Nightmare we're talking about, so I can't imagine that it'll take long. It'll be over far more quickly than the SAO Crisis, I'm sure. Still, the quicker the better.” Shiro's voice shatters that confidence.

“No.” Everyone in the room looks at him. Kikuoka speaks hesitantly.

“Is there something wrong?” Shiro taps the file irritably, looking pale and worried. He speaks slowly.

“You can't pin all of your hopes upon Sora. It won't work out the way you think it will. Despite all of Sora's skills, his motivation... there's one crucial problem. One problem so damaging that Dr Samson told me that I should _only_ share it if everyone seemed too optimistic about Sora and his ability to save everyone. That problem... that problem is Sora's current medical status, and the progression of the condition he was diagnosed with in September of 2022.”


	7. The Death Jaw Brothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rescue Team finds itself in its diciest situation yet, as it confronts a group of ferocious Dragons contained within a desperately small chamber. In such confines, death is a certainty. Even the hidden strength of the Virtual Demon may not be enough to earn victory. While all of this occurs inside the game, the situation is no better outside of it either. What nefarious plots are being cooked up to instill fear within the hearts of the DCO hostages?

**March 3rd 2030 – 1400 JST**

The White Dragon stares at Sora and the others with a curious, yet somehow disappointed expression. It even sighs at them.

“Well, this is unfortunate timing I must say. Negotiating with the Death Jaw Brothers was challenging enough as it was, and now warriors from the nearby town have arrived. I should have expected it, but in all honesty I didn't think anyone was strong enough to make it so far so quickly. I underestimated the people of Kraler, evidently.” Klein and the others move closer to Sora, scared and worried. Sora however remains calm as he whispers to them.

“I don't think he's here to fight us. If he was, we'd be dead by now. He was talking about negotiating, with those three Black Dragons.” Klein looks sidelong at Sora.

“Wait, what? The White Dragon was talking? When? All I heard was growling.” Sora glances at Klein briefly.

“That's because you don't speak Draconic. I do. The system translated the Draconic so that I could hear and understand it. If I speak directly to the Dragons, then in theory, the system should translate my words into Draconic, so that they understand me. At least, I hope it does. I didn't exactly have the time to learn Draconic from the website. It takes years to learn a new language, and those files were only up for about two days. Assuming the system still works, we'll be fine. I'll handle the talking, and work out a favourable outcome for us. Still, be ready for a fight. Those three Black Dragons look hungry. Well... here goes I guess.” Sora takes two steps forwards, and addresses the White Dragon directly.

“You have my apologies. We didn't intend to cause you any difficulties. For our part, we weren't expecting to walk into this chamber and be met by four Dragons such as yourselves. It seems we all could stand to learn to expect the unexpected.” The White Dragon's head twitches, and his eyes sparkle with surprise and intrigue.

“You possess the Dragon Tongue? What a curious Curse-Horn. Wise too it seems. Yes, we all should have been ready for anything I suppose, but I was too engrossed in negotiations.” Sora nods, before pressing for information.

“And what exactly are you negotiating? Not war I should hope. Hmm, no, by the looks of your companions, it seems they're not likely to agree to anything you put forth to them. In that case, it seems like you're trying to stop them from doing something they like. Naturally, they don't want to stop, hence their aggressive stance.” The White Dragon sighs again.

“Tell me about it. I've been trying to tell them that terrorising the nearby town isn't such a good idea. I know for a fact that a famous warrior lives there, one who has killed hundreds of Dragons. I'm trying to get them to see reason, but I can't get through to them. Sooner or later, they're going to earn the Titanslayer's wrath, and there'll be nothing I can do for them then. The problem is, that they seem to be intent upon causing mayhem and destruction. If it was treasure they were after, negotiations would go far more smoothly, but it seems that blood is the only thing they desire.” Sora's expression darkens.

“Well now that _is_ a problem, because the lives of everyone in Kraler, all of it is my responsibility. Now that I'm here, I think that _I_ will try negotiating as well. I have many people to protect. Their safety is my top priority. If I can work out a peaceful solution to this problem, then everyone will benefit from it. There will be no losers, only winners.” The White Dragon studies Sora curiously, and steps aside with a small nod. Sora steps forwards and addresses the Black Dragons.

“I have heard what it is that you desire. As a warrior of Kraler, and its guardian, I cannot allow you to bring it to ruin. I offer to you then an alternative solution. If it is conflict you seek, the mountains just north of here are crawling with Goblins. You could satisfy your desires, and you would earn the gratitude of the townsfolk as well. Not only would they reward you, but the mountains are littered with various riches, many of which only the three of you could gather. Think about it. You stand only to profit from this arrangement. There is no downside to it. You get to unleash your magnificent flames upon a deserving enemy, gain the adoration of the nearby populace, and reap the bounties of the mountains. King Mawlocke has been slain, so you needn't fear an assault from a Goblin Army. What say you?” The largest of the three Black Dragons snorts derisively.

“You would have us burning Goblins? You mock us Curse-Horn. Goblins are worthless wretches, and their hide smells foul. Even worse when it is burnt. Bounties of the mountains? Anything of value is protected by beings far deadlier than mere Goblins. To raid the mountains is to invite our doom. Of course, that is what you desire is it not? Our demise? You would attempt to sway us with bribes and flattery while secretly sending us to our deaths. The town of Kraler will burn for your deceitfulness, Curse-Horn.” Sora stands his ground.

“I have offered you a win-win situation, and you decline. Now I will give you one warning, one last chance to make the right decision. The town of Kraler may house Elric the Titanslayer, but he is far from their strongest warrior. There is one other, one who defeated even Kraler's greatest warrior. That, would be me. I am Nebula, also known as the God-slayer. Be it the King of the Mountain, the Bane of Dragons or the Two-Sword Demon, I have beaten them all. There is no greater adversary than myself. Right now, I am giving you a chance to take the peaceful option. Take my offer and benefit from it. Refuse, and you _will_ die. You would have to. The people of Kraler would depend upon it. Take my offer. Live to fight another day. You might even defeat me in the future, but not here, not today. There can be no victory for you here. So what will it be? What is your decision? Life, or death?” The largest Dragon spits a pitch black fireball at Sora. The Hellborne draws his blue-bladed short sword, reversing his grip on it and slashing laterally. The fireball scatters with a burst of snow and extinguishes instantly. _Negotiations have failed, now we do things the easy way._

“Defensive positions! Do not give them an opening! We stick to the plan, choose your targets carefully while I shelter you from their fury. Coordinate your attacks for maximum impact, focus everything you have on a single point. Don't get cocky, and don't do anything stupid. That's my job. Not one of you die, you got that? If you die, I'll drag your sorry arse back to life and beat the crap out of you.” Sora draws Death Viper as well, holding the Sabre at eye level, ready for a precision strike. A shadow falls over Sora before the shout reaches him.

“Watch out!” Sora glances over his shoulder in time to see the open jaws of the White Dragon. Two torrents of snowy flames roar past on either side of Sora, scalding the largest of the Black Dragons, earning a rumbling yelp. The smallest Black Dragon snarls angrily.

“You would ally yourself with that deceitful Curse-Horn? I knew that you were a traitor to your kind from the moment you set foot in this place. You will die, nameless and deed-less. That is the punishment for betraying your kith and kin.” The Dragon bounds forwards, targeting the White Dragon. As it lunges, claws outstretched and jaws wide open, Sora flashes into view, leaping onto the Dragon's snout.

“Don't forget about _me_ now!” He thrusts his left palm between the Dragon's eyes with a clap of thunder. The Dragon's head snaps back and upwards as the Thunder-burst Spell pulses through his nerves and veins, launching Sora into the air. The Hellborne flips himself into a diving position before falling back down upon his foe. Sora spins himself as he falls, slashing with the short sword. The blade cuts deep, running from the corner of the Dragon's mouth, along the throat, before snagging at the the shoulder. Sora twists the sword and pushes down as he pulls the sword out, inflicting a small laceration that freezes at the edge. He spins again as he falls, slashing vertically with Death Viper, carving a deep gouge in the side of the Dragon's throat. As he lands, Sora immediately dances on his feet, whirling around as he hacks at the smallest Dragon endlessly, slicing the front legs, the chest, the underbelly and the hind legs respectively. The moment he emerges from the other side, Sora leaps upwards, scaling the Dragon's right hind leg with the help of his swords, each thrust resulting in either a burst of snow and frost, or else in the expulsion of green smoke. As he passes the tail, Sora slashes viciously, severing the appendage about six centimetres from the backside. Without hesitation he charges forwards, racing up the spine of the Black Dragon. He hacks repeatedly at the wings as he passes them, the left one freezing solid on the third slash, causing the Dragon to flail wildly in pain. Sora fights to maintain his balance atop the Dragon, and shouts to the others.

“Now's your chance! Take it!” The White Dragon responds fastest, cleaving at the Black Dragon with a vicious swipe of the claws that carves out three deep gouges. Two arrows wreathed in blue flames pierce the gouges, erupting with a cerulean inferno upon impact. A volley of spells follows, bombarding the Black Dragon's throat, blasting ice, lightning and black flames. The Dragon roars in pain as it charges towards the group of players who stand clustered together, making for an easy target. Sora thrusts his short sword through the top of the Dragon's skull, gripping the hilt tightly to prevent himself from being thrown off by the desperate floundering. He presses two fingers against a few centimetres of exposed blade, and the Black Dragon suddenly veers violently to the left with an agonised bellow. An instant later, and the Dragon slams into the wall with a deafening crash and a thunderous rumble that quakes through the chamber. As the impact throws Sora over his own shoulders, wrenching the short sword out as well, he flips his body around so that he hits the wall with his legs bent to absorb the shock. He kicks off from the wall, launching himself at the Dragon as it tries to back away. Sora lands upon the Dragon's snout with a roll, severing the horns as he passes them, before thrusting both swords into the back of the Dragon's neck, the blades crossing over inside the throat. With tremendous strain, Sora rips the swords out sideways, inflicting deep lacerations. The Dragon flails violently, stretching the freshly inflicted gashes, and launching Sora into the air. Sora rotates as he falls, carving first with the short sword, then with Death Viper, before landing lightly with his right leg bent, his left leg stretching out to the side, and his arms raised either side of him at shoulder height. The smallest Black Dragon's head hits the ground just behind Sora, bouncing once before disintegrating. Sora whirls his swords around in a display of dexterity before holding both blades in a defensive stance as he faces the two remaining Black Dragons.

“In only a matter of moments, three have become two. I still offer you the chance to end this without further bloodshed. Take up the offer that I presented to you, take up the opportunity to live. Refuse, and I will not hesitate to kill you. Do not make the same mistake as your fallen brother.” Both Dragons roar indignantly before engulfing Sora in twin rivers of black flames. The infernos rage for a full twenty seconds before the streams cut out, and Sora stands completely unharmed.

“I'm a Hellborne you morons. I'm immune to fire. Very well, since you have chosen death, I have no choice but to deliver it. Kill them! Hold nothing back!” Sinon obeys first, firing four arrows in succession at high velocity. The arrows burrow deep into the throats of both Dragons before detonating, blasting holes in the scales. Black flames flow freely from the craters, signalling the rupturing of the fire glands. Sora raises his right hand as he casts a spell.

“Golyfua Surilia Cadris Sugusyrina!” The force of the Arctic gale that explodes from Sora's palm throws him wildly off balance, causing him to stumble drunkenly as he fights to remain on his feet. The wind blades tear up the floor of the chamber as they scream towards the two Dragons, who are powerless to evade the onslaught. Long lacerations streak across the Dragons' bodies as the blades rip through their scales effortlessly. Both Dragons are stripped of their horns and wings, and the largest Black Dragon loses his left arm, the limb being severed by a Halberd of freezing air. Sora charges forwards, swords in hand, while the White Dragon bounds along beside him. Kirito, Klein, Suguha and Agil all charge in as well, while Yui rains lightning upon the Dragons. The two opposing forces collide with furious speed, and vicious blows. The White Dragon, having rushed in with his head held low, swings his head upwards with great force, enough to lift the middle Black Dragon off the ground and toss him overhead. As the Black Dragon lands with a thunderous crash, Kirito's group jumps upon him, hacking and slashing the beast while he is vulnerable. The largest Black Dragon duels one on one with Sora, whose small size and vastly superior speed make him impossible to hit. Sora exploits this advantage to its fullest, carving the Dragon at high speed while constantly moving around to avoid becoming a target. As the largest Black Dragon rapidly becomes covered in scars, explosive arrows pelt him endlessly as well, piling on the damage, and the pain. The Dragon starts ambling towards Sinon, until Sora plunges his left hand into a deep gash in the Dragon's right leg, triggering an explosion of electricity at the same time. The involuntary muscle spasm causes the Dragon to slam Sora with his tail, knocking both swords out of the Hellborne's hands and launching him towards the Dragon's head. Sora lands between the Black Dragon's eyes, both of them glaring at him angrily.

“This is where you die, Curse-Horn.” Sora acts faster, thrusting his tail in through the Dragon's left eye, and out through the right. As he yanks his tail back out, both eyes are ripped out in the process before disintegrating. Sora shuffles back, before unleashing his flames into the empty eye sockets, roasting the exposed brain until the largest Black Dragon explodes into shards of data and fades away into nothingness. An agonised roar shakes the very air as the remaining Dragon slams Kirito's group back with his tail, tossing them aside like tennis balls. As the Dragon rears his head back, a flash of steel streaks across his throat, preceding the pain by no small margin. The Dragon turns on Sora with jaws wide open, but he doesn't try to bite the Hellborne. Instead, a dense cloud of green smoke billows from the Dragon's maw, blanketing Sora in an emerald smog. The Dragon spins around, whipping Sora with his tail and throwing him backwards into the Spellcaster group, knocking Sinon to the ground in the process. As she struggles to her feet, she sees that Sora's health bar is yellow, and still depleting rapidly. Only then does her mind register the Poison icon next to his name. Yui sees it as well and points her wand at him.

“Gelva Tyce Nyfui, Delma Sylar Oriya.” The Poison icon vanishes, and a portion of Sora's health is recovered as well, pushing his HP gauge into the green, but only just. Sora stands shakily, his hands visibly trembling.

“Fall back! Give this bastard some room, and stay sharp! Be ready for anything!” The Black Dragon stands confidently.

“What's this? Do I hear fear in the voice of the Curse-Horn? You would advise caution so soon after ordering those fools to hold nothing back? It will do you no good, wretch. I am the strongest of my three brothers. I will be the one to bring you down and tear off your head, self-proclaimed God-slayer. You are weak, Curse-Horn. Now I will show you just how weak you really are.” The Dragon lets out a deep, rumbling bellow. The ground before him tears up in the wake of some unseen object's passage. Sora slashes with both swords, crossing them to block the invisible attack. The swords collide with the unseen, and a grating whine fills the air, assaulting the eardrums of all who hear it. The force of the impact pushes Sora back, but he holds fast, stopping the attack from doing any harm. His blades soon find themselves without resistance, and the swords uncross. As Sora resumes his defensive stance, the White Dragon strikes, charging in brashly. The Black Dragon responds in kind, racing towards his counterpart. At the last moment, the Black Dragon liquidates, melting into shadows that dive under the White Dragon before erupting spear-like upwards, launching the White Dragon towards the vaulted ceiling. The Black Dragon re-materialises, leaping after his opponent. He grabs the White Dragon by the tail, spins around, and hurls him into the floor with such overwhelming force that the windows shatter, and the magic bomb in the door detonates, blasting both doors into the chamber. Kirito's group dives aside to avoid one door, which lodges itself halfway through a wall, while the other rockets straight out through the shattered window before tumbling down to the battlefield below. The Black Dragon lands upon his fallen foe with a triumphant roar. As he lunges downwards with jaws wide open, aiming for the White Dragon's throat; an arrow sinks itself into his snout, erupting lightning upon impact. The Black Dragon roars in pain and explodes into shadows. Shadows which race towards Sinon from all directions, causing her to freeze on the spot. An arm wraps around her waist as the shadows start to materialise, and then she hears the sickening crunch of bone being crushed and cartilage being torn. Sinon sees the hulking form of the Black Dragon, and she sees Sora standing between them, protecting her. Only then does she see the source of the nauseating sound: Sora's right arm is inside the Black Dragon's jaws. Sora pushes Sinon back just as the Dragon shakes his head violently, tossing Sora aside and ripping his arm off at the shoulder. The Dragon looks between Sora and Sinon, and a malevolent feeling emanates from him.

“Now there's an interesting development. The fearless warrior foolishly protecting the mangy forest rat? What could be the compulsion behind such a reckless and idiotic action? You lost a flimsy arm in that blunder, boy. I think I see the reason. You care about the Stick-Thrower. Such a disgusting emotion has no place in this world. I will burn it, cleanse it with the flames of despair. Watch and lament, Curse-Horn, for this pointy-eared vermin dies now!” The Black Dragon lunges forwards with ferocious speed for something so large. As his jaws open in readiness to devour Sinon, the Black Dragon sees a shadow falling from above. He digs in his claws and pushes back, but doesn't avoid the attack properly. The biting cold hurts more than the cut itself, but both cause the Dragon to recoil, moving further back. The Dragon snarls as Sora stands, one-armed, adopting an aggressive stance.

“Yui; look after Sinon, shield her and tend to her injuries. Leave this walking coin purse to me.” Yui gasps in shock.

“You can't!” Sora glances at Yui as his sword shimmers with a purple light, and she sees that once again; his irises have turned crimson.

“Watch me.” He launches forwards, sprinting into battle with shocking speed. The Black Dragon swipes at Sora, who leaps upon the claws and uses them as a foot-stool to drive home his attack. He spirals through the air, slicing the Dragon eight times as he hurtles past. The moment Sora lands by the Dragon's right hind leg, he springs to his right, slashing the underside of the Dragon's tail and the back of his left thigh in the same swing. The Dragon spins on the spot, hooking backwards with his right leg, trying to trip Sora. The Hellborne back-flips over the limb, slicing it twice before landing. The Dragon continues on his own momentum, lunging at Sora with jaws wide open and a triumphant gleam in his eyes. Sora's sword glows gold as he slashes upwards, striking the Dragon in the chin. A disproportionate force snaps the Dragon's head back, exposing his throat long enough for Sora to slash it twice, the second laceration freezing over in an instant. The Dragon staggers back before clawing at Sora again. With another gilded strike, Sora parries the claws, his blade freezing them solid and sending the arm upwards, over Sora's head. He presses his advantage, cutting and thrusting with speed and precision, many of the wounds freezing instantaneously. Sora continues attacking, wielding his blue-bladed short sword like a Rapier, thrusting it endlessly at the Dragon. As the wounds amass and the ice spreads around, the Black Dragon rears his head, preparing to unleash the poisonous smog once more. As the Black Dragon swoops his head down, jaws wide open, Sora throws his sword straight up before thrusting his left hand before him.

“Cantis!” A small white bolt rockets from his palm, straight into the Dragon's throat, where it detonates. The Dragon flinches, coughing up green smoke that dissipates rapidly, failing to poison anything. As soon as Sora's sword falls into his outstretched hand, he dashes forwards, slashing rapidly, focusing on the Dragon's head. _Faster! I have to go faster! I have to break the sound barrier!_ He accelerates his attacks, slashing faster and faster, the screech of his sword become higher and higher in pitch. In only a matter of seconds, the sword is able to strike faster than the game can keep up with, so that there is a delay between the slash and the appearance of the wound. Still Sora pushes himself to increase his speed, moving far faster than would be conceivably possible in reality. _Here it comes: Sonic Storm!_ Sora's sword shines with a blinding white light as it flashes through the air with incredible swiftness. his speed rises exponentially until his movements become a blur, impossible to keep track of. As the Black Dragon's health bar plunges into the red, he spins around with phenomenal speed, whipping his tail around quick enough to create a sonic boom. Sora once again parries the tail, smashing it upwards and slicing it twice. The first strike freezes the tail solid, and the second shatters it out of existence. In desperation, the Black Dragon leaps towards Sora as if hoping to crush him under his hulking body. Sora ends his Sword Skill with three supersonic slashes that freeze the Black Dragon entirely, before shattering him into millions of shards. Sora stands, breathing hard for a moment, before sheathing the short sword, and dropping to his knees. Sinon and Yui rush over to him, both pale with fear and anxiety. Yui lands before Sora, while Sinon slides on her knees next to him.

“Hey, talk to me! Stay with me Nebula!” Sora nods tiredly.

“I'm not going anywhere. I'm alright, I think. For now at least, but only as long as the adrenaline lasts. It's numbing the pain and keeping me focused. Once it wears off though, I may pass out.” Yui points her wand at him.

“Gelué Rastor Yimva Salar, Doryma Humiti Paraeolyn.” Sora's right arm fades into existence as his health bar refills, earning a look of discomfort and uneasiness from the Hellborne.

“That's a really weird sensation. It's kinda freaking me out how that feels. I really hope that's the last time I get amputated by a Dragon, because that's an unsettling feeling.” Sinon looks at Sora incredulously.

“Even after all that you can still be so casual. Are you sure you're okay? Is there anything you need?” Sora shakes his head.

“Aside from time to recover, not really. Well, a good stiff drink wouldn't hurt, but not right now. Alcohol would only make things worse. I'll need time to calm my breathing, lower my pulse. Once the adrenaline wears off and the shaking stops, I should get better pretty quickly. Assuming I don't throw up that is. But that's all really. There's nothing that magic or potions can do for me. It'd be a waste using them anyway. This wasn't as bad as the forest, or Mawlocke. I expected things to go worse, so I was prepared. If it wasn't for me being on an adrenaline rush though, I would have died. The shock from losing my arm would have killed me. I expect I'll feel the pain soon enough though, so bear with me for that, and keep me calm.” Sinon nods.

“I will. You have my word on that.” A shadow falls over them, as the White Dragon approaches.

“How fares the Champion of Kraler? Does he live?” Sora nods, struggling to give a weak smile.

“He lives to fight another day, though he hopes to remain intact next time.” The White Dragon chortles softly.

“Well spoken. There wasn't time for formal introductions earlier, so allow me to rectify that. My name is Cyraxis. I was born far to the north, beyond the Dawnlight Mountains, far from the lands of Mesikari. I travelled south to seek new mysteries and experience new adventures. Here though, I was attempting to prevent the three Death Jaw Brothers from terrorising Kraler, an act that would ultimately bring about their doom. My words fell upon deaf ears. They saw me as a traitor since I would refuse a life of pillaging and slaughter. They refused you too, because you are a Curse-Horn. You offered them a fair alternative, more than so really. They stood to benefit greatly, but they would not see reason. Such was their simple minds. I must admit, when you professed to have defeated the Titanslayer, I thought it might have been a bluff. Having seen you in action however, I know it to be true. You are indeed a fascinating Curse-Horn. Well then, there is nothing more for me here. Should we meet again, I'll be sure to lend assistance to you and your friends. I owe you all that much at least. Farewell Nebula God-slayer, may fortune smile upon you.” Without waiting for a response, Cyraxis leaps through the shattered windows and flies off into the distance. Once he has disappeared from sight, a quest completion notification appears. Straight away, the bony protrusions on Sora's back glow brighter, shining crimson as a membrane of skin stretches out, forming wings that extend down the entire length of his spine. Sora flexes his newly formed wings experimentally, before sweeping them powerfully, kicking up a gust that sends Yui flying with a startled cry. Sora raises a hand, apologetic.

“Sorry Yui, my bad. I honestly didn't think that'd happen.” Yui flutters back to him, pouting.

“A little warning next time, if it's not too much to ask.” Sora bows his head.

“Yes ma'am.” He then looks up again, and looks around at the others.

“Alright, you know the drill by now. Allocate any points you've gained the way you see fit, but try to anticipate what we might face in the future. Don't just think short term though, think further ahead than that. Use the notes I sent out last night as a guideline for what _is_ necessary and what _isn't_. If you feel like bragging, go nuts. Just be prepared to get one upped.” The others nod, and begin reviewing their rewards, updated levels and so on. Sora looks at his own list. _So I levelled up even higher than I expected. Level 17 now. I_ must _have hit an EXP boost somewhere along the lines then. I'm two levels higher than I anticipated. My Sword Level is up to 53 now as well. Good God that's a lot higher than I predicted. I really went nuts didn't I? Most of that must have come from the boss fight then. I gained one Axe Level, one Tail Level, and two Throwing Levels as well. About right considering I prefer to keep hold of my weapons, focusing on using the swords. Let's see what awards I got. Parry On Countering Award, Mostly Armless Award, Jumping to Conclusions Award, Hole in the Shield Wall Award, Eye Spy Award, Heartbreaker Award, Dragon and On and On Award, Armour-geddon Award, and Pushing My Luck Award. That's... weird. Most of those I can figure out but... Eye Spy? How did I get that one? I don't remember encountering any invisible enemies, but that's what it says. Strange. I got a mountain of rewards though. Just from these achievements, I gained Dragon-hide Vambraces +6, Elven Acrobatic Boots +7, three Unique Sword Skill Scrolls, a Dimensional Cloak and... Oh my! Hello there my old friend. I honestly didn't think QZR Studios were going to bother with_ those _weapons, but low and behold they have, and I gained one of the best there is. As for the main quest rewards, I didn't get anything too fancy over all. Several swords that are kinda cool but not as good as Death Viper. Twenty Gold Flags and fifty vials of Purified Blood. Ah... but I _did_ get Adamantine Scale-mail. That's something I can use. An Anklet of Haste +4 and a Belt of Shadows as well. Both of those will be useful indeed. Add in the potions, potion ingredients, steel ingots, Adamantine Ore and assorted jewels, I've received quite the haul. Oh, hang on. I've got a Skill Choice to make. There are two Skills that I have to choose between. Let's see now. On the one hand, there's Dragon Blade. Thirty-six hit combo, Fire element, high probability of inflicting a severe burn. It's a pretty good Sword Skill, but a little lacking I feel. The other Skill is Rime-fire Massacre. The name alone is more awesome. Two Sword requisite, fifty hit combo, Ice _ and _Fire elements, high critical rating, high probability of inflicting extreme burn or full freeze. Or both. The downside is that it's only that strong once per quest. I can't keep using it over and over, it gets weaker each time I use it. Repeated use also drops durability much faster. Even so, that's the Skill I want_. Sora selects the Skill, and equips his new armour items, and that's when it hits him: a powerful wave of nausea and disorientation that makes his stomach quake and the world swirl around him. He sways, but the drunkenly spinning world prevents him from feeling which way he falls. His descent stops quickly however, as a hand presses against his sternum, and his forehead. Sora can barely hear the voice through the throbbing that fills his ears, and the world blurs into a mess of indistinct colours.

“It's alright, I've got you. Take deep breaths Nebula. Focus only on your breathing. Focus the entirety of your concentration on breathing in and out, slowly, deeply, until this feeling passes.” Sora isn't sure if he succeeded in nodding or not, but he closes his eyes and follows Sinon's advise, taking long deep breaths, counting each one. He counts to ninety before his head clears enough for his thoughts to be heard over the pulsating sound. _So the adrenaline finally wore off then. I knew it would hit me hard, but I'm still conscious, so that's good. I didn't throw up either. Not yet anyway. My right arm's in a lot of pain though, a Hell of a lot. It's even worse than that enchanted knife. That hurt, but it was a burning, stabbing pain. This time, I had my entire arm ripped right off. My shoulder's going to be tender for a few days, maybe a week. I'm honestly surprised I could handle it, even with the adrenaline. The hardest part is... well it's right now actually. The pain is still fresh, still strong, and it's nauseating me again. Until the pain fades away, there's not really anything I can do. Strenuous activity would result in a collapse. Eating or even drinking would make me sick. All I can do, is sit here and breathe_. Sora keeps on counting his breaths, and at three hundred, he finally opens his eyes again slowly, feeling only slightly queasy. It takes a moment for the world to come into focus. As it does, Sora realises that Sinon still holds onto him, staying close to him. He places his right hand atop hers, over his heart.

“I'm alright now Sinon. Tired, but otherwise fine. Thank you, for staying with me through that, and for keeping me from collapsing. I owe you a debt of gratitude for your kindness and care.” Sinon's left hand moves away from his forehead, resting against his left shoulder instead.

“I did only what anyone else would do, what anyone else _should_ do. You have no reason to thank me.” Sora shakes his head.

“No, I do. It's true that you did what anyone _should_ do, but there are very few who actually _would_ do it, especially in a VRMMO. Being in a game changes a person's psyche. Those who are normally bad become worse, while those who are normally good take advantage of anonymity to experience what it's like to do wrong. People who were good and remain that way in a game, they're a frightfully rare breed of person. It's a worrying phenomenon though. The player and the character are bound, far more intrinsically than one might imagine, especially in the virtual world, wherein the player manifests as the character. To separate yourself from your character is impossible. Everything you do as a player becomes a part of your character, and everything you do as a character affects who you are as a player. If you commit crimes as a character, it taints your actual self, your real body. It is a poison that slowly takes over, until you become as twisted as the character you control. Players have always overlooked this fact and have changed themselves for the worse because of it, but not you, Sinon. You remain as a good person, even in a crisis situation such as this, you are still a good person. Because of that, you did what anyone else _should_ have done, and that is why I'm grateful to you. You've resisted the poison of RPGs and stayed true to yourself. I'm glad. It seems that every day, I find new reasons to be glad that I met you. Keep doing what you're doing Sinon, keep doing the right thing and living true to your real self. Do that, and I'll be able to gain reassurance from you when things look bad, and I'll be able to continue fighting with every ounce of strength I possess. I'll make sure you escape from this world. You have to. Both the real world and the virtual one need more people like you.” Sinon rests her head against Sora's shoulder blades, hiding her scarlet face from the others, and nods.

“Alright. If that's what you want, I'll do it. For you... and only you.” Sora turns his head, trying to look over his shoulder. _Only me? Does that mean-_ A lance of pain stabs through Sora's sinuses and temples, causing him to flinch and groan. Sinon looks at the back of Sora's head in concern as he presses his left hand to his forehead.

“Nebula...” Another voice speaks up, expressing concern.

“Hey man, are you feeling okay?” Sora looks up at Agil's towering form with difficulty, and forces a pained smile.

“Migraine. It happens occasionally. I haven't had one in a while though. Then again, I haven't pushed myself so hard in a long time either. It'll pass soon enough, as long as I don't over-exert myself again. I need to think twice about going ballistic like that again. I can't ever do it without it taking a heavy toll on me.” Agil sits down opposite Sora.

“I see. So is that how it is? Well, that _was_ a hardcore fight. Taking on three Dragons in an enclosed space, you can't really do that without giving it everything you've got. Still, that was some insane skill you displayed. I know your reputation as Counter Point well, but this is the first time I've ever actually seen you displaying those skills. I didn't even know it was possible to counter so many attacks.” Sora smiles softly at this, a genuine smile at that.

“You can counter anything if you put your mind to it. The perfect counter comes down to precision timing, pinpoint accuracy, and carefully measured strength, as well as well-trained reflexes. It sounds like a lot, but just like with riding a bike; after enough practice all of that becomes instinct, and you never forget it. The most important thing you need for mastering countering is the right weapon. Too light, and you won't have the force to parry the enemy's blade. Too heavy, and you'll throw off your balance, leaving yourself wide open. That's why, both here and in ALO, I prioritise one-hand swords. The ideal weight range is between two and three kilograms. The heavier end of that range only works with the right sword balance though, and is more effective against heavy weapons like axes and hammers. The sword I built my Counter Killing reputation with is a double-edged small sword with a fifty-five centimetre blade. It weighs exactly two and a half kilograms, which is absolutely perfect. It's effective against light weapons, heavy weapons, and even Magic. You know the nickname I've got: Counterpoint? That's actually the name of that sword. With it, I built up a reputation as the greatest counter-attacking player in ALO. Not even Virtual Demon has that accolade under his belt. There have been countless players who've challenged me, trying to best Counterpoint, but all have fallen to the sword, and my array of Original Sword Skills. Counterpoint has served me well, but my reputation, my fame, it requires that I use a sword of equal standing. I hope that the Legendary Sword Durandal will fit that role well. I think it will. Durandal may be a one-hand longsword, with a ninety centimetre blade, but the weight is precisely the same as Counterpoint. It'll take some getting used to the longer blade, but that shouldn't take long.” Sinon speaks up, voicing a thought she just had.

“The _sword_ is named Counterpoint, and not the player? So then, what name do _you_ go by?” Sora glances over his shoulder again.

“The name I use? It's the same one I use in GGO... it's Barrett.” Agil gasps slightly, looking shocked.

“Wait... _Barrett_? Then... could it really be? A one-hand small sword, double-edged, emeralds in the cross-guard, forged by Sakuya's personal blacksmith... is that Sylph-made weapon... _that's_ Counterpoint?” Sora nods with a satisfied smile.

“Yup! Best two hundred and fifty Mithral Yuld I've ever spent. The Sylph's really know how to make good swords, though I hear that the Blacksmith Goddess Lisbeth is the best in the game. You know, several Spriggans told me not to go to your shop in Yggdrasiel City. They told me that you drive a hard bargain. Personally I think they're just too attached to their money. It's not like I've ever been lacking the stuff. Even so, the amount I paid for Counterpoint, it was worth it. I've never owned a weapon that lasted even half as long as Counterpoint has, and I hope that sword continues to stay with me for years to come. I'm a little surprised you remember me though. You must get a lot of customers, and my name doesn't exactly stick out.” Agil folds his arms.

“That may be, but you were a pretty unusual customer. You went through every sword I had in stock, weighing them up, feeling their balance. I could tell you were looking for something in particular, but I was never able to figure out what that was. Then again, I'd never heard of anyone being a master of sword counters at that time. Spriggans usually buy weapons with a high strength requirement, or else easily concealable weapons for assassination purposes. Eventually you tried out that Sylph-made sword. From the moment you drew the blade, I knew you'd found what you were looking for. You looked at the sword the same way a man looks at an old friend they haven't seen in a while. Then when it came to the purchase, you didn't argue, didn't try to haggle; you just accepted the price and paid up without hesitation. That's pretty rare too. Most players like to try bartering, even if it doesn't get them anywhere. Usually it's only the rookies who accept the price so readily, but I could tell you were too skilled for that. I may get a lot of customers, and you may not have the most memorable name, but you were certainly one of the most memorable customers. I haven't seen you again since then though, but I never forgot about you.” Sora scratches his chin, lost in thought.

“Yeah, that sounds about right, from what I remember. I didn't haggle because the price sounded fair to me, and money wasn't really an issue as long as it was below half a million Mithral Yuld. I haven't needed to buy another weapon since then. The only new weapon I've acquired and kept since buying Counterpoint, is Durandal. I nearly went back to see if you sold any armour, but I got a Rune Blessed Cloak from a rare monster in Aincrad, so I've not needed new armour either. Of course, going on quests and fighting duels against people who think they can beat me, that all takes up a lot of time, so I was never able to go back to your shop. I've wanted to though, to thank you. If you hadn't been patient with me, or if you hadn't had that sword, I doubt I would ever have been able to build up my reputation as a counter killer. I'd been searching for the ideal sword for a long time, and found only crap until that day, so for that; I've wanted to thank you.” Agil smiles awkwardly, a little unsure of himself.

“You're welcome, I guess.” Sora smiles playfully, then sits in silence for a moment. After several long seconds, he sighs.

“And now I have to change my tone, because that blinking icon's bugging me. You've got a Skill choice outstanding. Can't decide which to go for? Anything I can help with?” Agil nods, opening up the Skill choice menu.

“Yeah, I'm hoping you can help me. The choice I have to make... I'm not sure I want either one. I must be missing something, because there's no information about combo size or damage rates. Critical Stake and Red Queen's Wrath, those are the names of the two skills, but that's about all I know.” Sora shuffles over to look at the skills more closely, and hums with intrigue.

“I see, so that's pretty interesting. You've been given a choice between two Finishing Moves.” Agil raises an eyebrow.

“Finishing Moves? That sounds cool, but what are they exactly?” Sora leans back a little as he collects his thoughts.

“A Finishing Move, also known as a Killing Move, is an attack which kills an enemy in a single hit, regardless of how much health remains, as long as certain criteria are met. Within this game, enemies _must_ be prone in order for the Skill to work. In the case of Spiders, Bugs, and similar creatures that dwell low to the ground, the Finishing Move can only be performed once the target has been flipped onto its back. Certain other rules affect the moves. Zombies, Ghosts, Spirits and other similar monsters are immune to Finishing Moves, unless you're using a Divine Weapon. Boss Monsters _can_ be eliminated with a Finishing Move, but only once they've been taken down to ten percent health or less. Golems, Homunculi and similar constructs are entirely immune to Finishing Moves, as they are deemed to be too heavily armoured. Of the two choices you have, I would recommend Critical Stake. That means you'll be stabbing the enemy in the heart. Red Queen's Wrath is a decapitating move, but beheading a prone target will exhaust your weapon's durability more quickly. If you were using an axe or Halberd, that would be a different matter. You're quite lucky though, neither of your options requires Mana. I have a Finishing Move too, called Infernal Cross. There are two reasons why I've never used it: Firstly, because it requires two swords but more importantly is the second reason; which is that it requires a Hell of a lot of Mana. Four hundred Mana to be precise, and I currently have four hundred and eighty. If I was able to auto-regenerate Mana points, it wouldn't be so bad, but I don't have that ability, and I won't do until I hit Level 20.” Agil looks intrigued.

“I see now, so _that's_ why there's no damage or combo information. I like the sound of these Finishing Moves though. Being able to take out enemies at full health would save us a whole lot of time.” Sora nods.

“You're right about that. Of course, they still need to be knocked prone first, but that's still easier than fighting to the death normally. Another bonus to Finishing Moves is that using them earns you a little extra XP. Not much more, but it all adds up in the end. I should imagine there's also a bunch of Awards for using Finishing Moves creatively, so keep an eye out for that. Awards bring Rare Items after all.” A confident voice chips in.

“Speaking of Rare Items, I think my one gives me something to brag about.” Sora looks up at Klein, who stands confidently with a Katana in hand. Both the Saya and the Ito are pure, dazzling white, and the sparkling silver Tsuba depicts an exquisite snowflake. Klein draws the sword with a shower of frost and snowflakes, revealing a blinding white blade with a stormy vein of electric blue running along its length.

“Behold my prize! The Snowstorm Katana! It's a Masterwork Lancinating Icy-burst Aetherite Katana of Defence +6. 75% Critical hit probability, with a base damage range of 190-380. The sword also has a Bonus Skill: Frosty Reception. The sight of the sword causes a reduction in the strength of any enemy's physical and magical attacks. There's no way you can one-up this beauty, Nebula. Admit it, I hit the jackpot.” Sora examines the sword closely.

“Impressive. That must be the reward for your performance on the second floor. Your Snowstorm Katana has a Rarity Index of 79, just shy of a Super Rare Item. I'll admit, you've been rewarded well. As for beating me, well...” Sora stands, navigating his inventory and taking a sword from it. The cruciform hilt features four diamond shapes, which combined with the translucent pale sapphire colour; gives it a beautifully jagged appearance. The scabbard is platinum, and lined with many jewels of flawless clarity. As Sora draws the sword, a pale blue light shines out radiantly, carrying a powerful sense of strength and divinity. The blade is seventy-five centimetres in length, double-edged, and straight, barring the three diamond-shaped segments which flare out further than the rest of the sword. The blade is a strong azure colour, and features a Runic engraving on both sides. The edges of the sword seem so extensively keen that they appear capable of slicing through Dragon-hide without any effort. Every small movement of the sword causes it to sing through the air, captivating everyone's attention. Sinon voices her incredulity.

“What Divine sword is that? Not even Lisbeth could forge a sword so beautiful.” Sora smiles mischievously.

“With a Rarity Index of 97, this is a Legendary Sword; a sword that is based upon a real life legend. This sword, is none other than Durandal; the Diamond Sword of the Roland, Paladin of Charlemagne. 90% Critical Hit probability, and with a base damage range of 250-570. If that wasn't enough; there are three key points that emphasise this sword's superiority. Point number one is that the scabbard itself has a Bonus Skill: Holy Blessing. As long as I have the sword equipped, I will be immune from Abyssal attacks. Point number two is that the sword has _three_ Bonus skills: Fissuring Strike, Divine Judgement, and Spirit of Roland. Fissuring Strike is a high-powered attack that requires two-hands to use. It may only be a single hit, but with a 100% Critical rating and a base damage score of 200-450, I'd say that's worthwhile. Divine Judgement is a Spell, and the effect of that spell is as follows: the entire party gets an HP Over-boost for ninety seconds as well as adding Light-burst and Spirit-burst damage to our attacks. HP Over-boost, in case you didn't know, grants us increased physical attack and defence. Spirit of Roland is perhaps my favourite of the Bonus skills, because it requires no activation or Mana, only that I wield the sword. It's effect is that it negates all armour and shields. I just cut through as if the enemy were butt naked. Neither physical armour nor magical armour offers any protection from Durandal. Point number three, and this is also incredible; Durandal's Durability is infinite. It will never break no matter how much I use it. I warned you that bragging would result in you being one-upped, but you just had to try anyway.” Klein looks forlornly at Durandal.

“That is so not fair. Now how in the world was I supposed to know you'd get a Legendary Item?” Sora raises an eyebrow.

“Do you really have to ask? I went on an absolute rampage on Floor One, wiping out an entire Kobold Phalanx unit amongst many other enemies. Then on Floor Three I killed six mobs, including a Bugbear Chieftain, by throwing a Fire Beetle around and using that as a weapon. Then let's not forget my assault upon those three Dragons just now. I got the Last Attack Bonus on each one. It's impossible to think I _wouldn't_ receive a Legendary Item after all that. Although, to be honest I didn't expect it to happen myself. I didn't know QZR Studios were going to include Legendary Weapons with this game, nor that I'd receive Durandal for my efforts. I'm glad I did though. Durandal is a fascinating sword, and this interpretation of it is far superior to the ALO version. That one might be stronger, longer, and with the same indestructible construction, but it lacks the Bonus Skills and the beauty that this variant possesses. There is however, just one problem with this sword.” Sinon looks at Sora doubtfully.

“A problem? How can there be any problem?” Sora looks away, somewhat embarrassed.

“I can't equip it.” Sinon hesitates a moment.

“I'm sorry?” Sora sighs, face reddening.

“I can't equip Durandal. My Character Level, my Agility, my Reflex, _and_ my Sword Level, they're all too low to use the sword. I need to be Level 21, Sword Level 100, with fifty points apiece on Agility and Reflex. I'm Level 17, Sword Level 53, with 42 points on Agility and 49 on Reflex. I've got my work cut out for me to fulfil the prerequisites. Once I do though, I'll be able to dual-wield Death Viper and Durandal. Death Viper may be a Main Hand weapon, but Durandal is listed as Ambidextrous, so I can wield it with my left hand while Death Viper takes my right. I'll be a force to be reckoned with then, I just have to wait for that to happen. Based upon the Key Stat boost rates I've seen so far, I'll reach the necessary Agility target at Level 22. That's the one holding me back. I can hit my Reflex and Sword Level targets at Level 18 if I really push myself, but there's no real need to overdo it if there's no serious benefit to it. In the mean time, I'll have to rely on my other swords.” Klein grins mischievously at Sora.

“So in other words, you've got a Legendary Sword you can't use. Are you sure your reward is better than mine?” Sora narrows his eyes.

“Hey Klein, when I reach Level 22; what's say you and I have a duel. You can use the Snowstorm Katana, and I'll use Durandal. We'll see who got the better reward from that.” Klein gulps nervously.

“On second thoughts, I'll pass. I think I'd rather fight the Skull Reaper again than take on Counterpoint.” Sora looks at Klein curiously.

“You guys have been mentioning that a lot today. What exactly _is_ the Skull Reaper.” Agil takes the question.

“The Skull Reaper was a high level boss from SAO, Floor 75. It looked like this giant skeletal Centipede with two huge scythes. It had five health bars, and an insane amount of speed and strength. It could kill players in a single hit. Ten players from an expeditionary team discovered it's lair and died fighting it. After that, we launched an assault using the biggest raid party ever, featuring SAO's best fighters. Even so, fourteen people were killed before it was brought down. Not a single game I've ever played or even heard about has featured a boss monster as powerful as the Skull Reaper. I think even Virtual Demon would struggle against that nightmare. Kirito brought the game to an end after that battle, when he realised that Commander Heathcliff, leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath, was really Akihiko Kayaba.” Sora nods slowly, looking a little pale.

“I see. Damn, I never knew you guys had it so rough. I'm aware of how many died, and I've heard rumours about Red Guilds being responsible for a large portion of those deaths, but I didn't realise you had to fight against such brutal monsters as well. You're probably right though, Sora would have found that fight to be insanely difficult. As skilled as he is, even he has limits. High speed battles tend to exhaust him, so something as swift as this Skull Reaper would have worn him out big time. Still, my mind doesn't want to accept that a single monster killed twenty-four players. Do you know who they were? Their game names I mean?” Agil thinks back a moment.

“Yeah, I think I can recall all the names, why do you ask?” Sora hesitates a moment, as his heart hammers in his chest.

“It's just I... no wait, never mind. You said that Kirito ended the game just after that fight. It can't be the answer then. The person I'm thinking of... she would have died more than a year before that ordeal. Well, I can rule out Skull Reaper then, though that's not to say it wasn't another Boss fight that... never mind. Sorry for asking that out the blue, it wasn't very tactful of me. Forget I said anything. It's not a good time for me to be learning the answer anyway. I should be focusing on what lay ahead.” Agil looks uncertainly at Sora, wondering whether or not he should pursue the matter further, when Sinon catches his eye, shaking her head. As Agil opts to remain silent, Sinon seeks to change the subject.

“So aside from Durandal, did you get any other cool rewards?” Sora nods, changing tone and attitude as if someone had flicked a light switch.

“Yeah plenty. I got rewarded pretty heavily. We won't be short of Gold Flags for a while since I got a load of those, and enough Purified Blood to use on each flag, twice. Several new armour items including boots, vambraces and a new cloak as well. I got a bunch of potion ingredients and smithing supplies too, including Adamantine ore. Oh, and I gained three Original Sword Skill Scrolls.” Sinon let's out a low whistle.

“You weren't kidding, that's one hefty set of rewards. You did work hard for them though, so it's only fair you get properly compensated for your efforts. I can't help but wonder what kind of Sword Skills you'll create. That Blackjack's Railgun is pretty incredible, but I know you're looking to do better than that. You said you're Sword Level 53 now right? That means you can create a Skill with a combo of up to 53 hits. If you use a sword like Death Viper or Durandal, then you'll be able to wipe out even boss monsters without any trouble.” Sora nods.

“You're right about that I reckon. I figured I'd have a little variety with these Skills though. One full-on aggressive Skill using two swords, a high-speed onslaught using a single sword, and also an Unarmed Skill. My Unarmed Level is 28 now, so that's a pretty decent combo to produce. There's liable to be times when we can't use our weapons, either because of a Spell or else NPC interference. At times like that, having a powerful Unarmed Skill will become essential for our survival. Whatever martial arts training any of us may possess is likely to be insufficient, so an Unarmed Skill could mean the difference between life and death.” Sora extracts the three scrolls from his inventory, holding one at a time in his right hand. Each time, he closes his eyes tightly, focusing intently on each Skill in turn. Golden light shines out from each scroll as he visualises his Skills, and strange black symbols appear on the parchment. Kirito, Asuna, Suguha and Cassandra join the others as Sora finishes recording his Skills, looking curious. Suguha looks surprised to see the scrolls.

“You got Original Skill Scrolls too? Both Kirito and I gained one apiece from that, but you managed to snag three of them. I shouldn't really be surprised by that though, given your performance. So, do we get to see what you're capable of?” Sora nods.

“Sure. It'd be better for me to test out my new skills now, and find out any mistakes I've made before we go any further. If there's one problem I have with these scrolls, it's that you can't re-record the Skill. If you mess up, you have to delete the scroll and get a new one, and try again. I'm pretty sure I've got it all correct, but you can never be certain until you actually use it.” Sora navigates his menus, seeing an option labelled 'Spawn Training Dummy: 13', and presses it. A sub-menu appears, featuring a short list of monsters. _Interesting. I get to choose which monster I spawn now. It used to only be Lizardmen, but now I have more variety. I think... yes, I'll get a little payback on this one I think_. Sora makes his selection, and Mawlocke spawns in the centre of the chamber. He has no armour, no weapons, and a completely blank expression. Sora holds a pair of short swords in his hands, and moves his arms behind him to form a V-shape. Both swords glow with a deep purple light as the Sword Skill charges up. Sora lowers himself into a crouch, before springing forwards like a cat pouncing on a mouse. He drops down, sliding on his knees and spinning counter-clockwise, slashing Mawlocke's calves with both swords as he passes between them. On the other side, Sora springs up, spiralling clockwise with six slashes tearing open the Goblin King's spine, followed by a cross slash from top to bottom, and another from bottom to top. Two horizontal slashes from left to right with both swords follow, with three alternating slashes from bottom to top coming after that. Sora thrusts his left sword into Mawlocke's right shoulder before rolling himself around the Goblin's right arm, ripping the left sword out whilst slashing across Mawlocke's waist, from his left side to his right side. Two more cross slashes, almost running parallel horizontally, precede a five-rotation spin attack, each spiral featuring a slash from both swords, before Sora reverses his grip on the swords. He dashes forwards, slashing at Mawlocke's left side and left elbow simultaneously in passing, severing the arm at the joint. He then jumps to his left, spiralling three times counter-clockwise, slashing with both swords as he does so. He flips the swords again as he rolls back in front of Mawlocke and prepares to bring the Skill to a close. Sora slashes diagonally with his left sword, from top left to bottom right, stabs with his right sword, slashes vertically upwards with the left sword, then the right sword, a single spiral slashing left to right with both swords, and a final cross slash from top to bottom. With both arms crossed over, Sora takes a single step forwards before slashing horizontally with all his might, scissoring Mawlocke's head off with a decisive twin strike. As Mawlocke's body disintegrates, an input box appears before Sora, prompting him to name the Sword Skill. Sinon peers over his shoulder as he finishes typing.

“Executioner's Dance huh? I can't think of a more appropriate name for that skill. Quite a formidable skill at that. It's very difficult to block an opponent who won't sit still, while they attack with brutal strength.” Sora nods.

“That's the idea behind the Skill. If we ever find ourselves up against a tank like Mawlocke, then 'Executioner's Dance' will be necessary to get us out of a tight spot.” Kirito looks impressed, and curious.

“So that's what a fifty-three hit combo looks like. Utterly lethal as well. I have one question though: How are these skills recorded? I didn't see you perform the skill beforehand. Just how different is it from ALO?” Sora doesn't have to think about the answer.

“Very different. You _don't_ need to perform the Skills, with or without system assistance. Given that these Skills can have hit combos of up to two and a half thousand, it would be impossible to record such extensive onslaughts. As with flight, tail movement, and character appearance: It all comes down to visualisation. You need to focus on the Skill with your mind's eye using every last brain cell you possess. The system translates your brain waves from the visualisation process into the Sword Skill. This is something that even the AmuSphere's patch can handle, one of the three key areas the patch focused on. There's a limit to what can be done however. You can't exceed the system assist's capabilities, and you have to be crystal clear when visualising. One error, even a small one, can negate the Skill and render it unusable. It sounds intimidating, but it really isn't. It's actually easier this way, I feel. I've heard that you've been trying to recreate your Starburst Stream in ALO, but that you've been having difficulty with the last few hits. I've done research on that Skill, as you know, and I know for myself that it _is_ technically possible to pull off Starburst Stream in ALO, but it's a real nightmare to do it. In this world however, recording that Skill ought to be really easy, as long as you visualise properly. If you don't mind waiting a little bit, I'll see if I can help you record a new Skill once I've finished testing mine.” Kirito nods.

“No problem, and I'd appreciate the help. I want to get this perfect. So, what Skill are you testing next?” Sora navigates his menus quickly, spawning a muscular man.

“An Unarmed Skill, twenty-eight hit combo. I decided to focus more on speed than strength here, but even then each blow is still pretty strong. Especially the finale.” Sora adopts an aggressive stance, feet spread wide, knees bent and ready to run, before raising his fists, both glowing emerald green in the process. _Here I come!_

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 3rd 2030 – 1437 JST**

The glowing computer screen is the only thing that illuminates the darkened room, and the single occupant within it. A man sits at the computer, his short dark hair partially obscuring his cold grey eyes. His face shows signs of wrinkles, further exacerbated by the manic grin he bears as he reads the message.

“Each of the guests has arrived, with a plus one as well: the Black Swordsman's cousin. The Black Widow is also in place, exactly as predicted. The first attempt however, ended in failure. That bothersome Virtual Demon is even more tenacious than I anticipated, and his skills exceeded our expectations. More than twenty were lost in the attack, including Nefertiti. It angers me to admit that I was almost claimed as well. He hit me with a knife as I teleported away. I won't underestimate him again, but finding suitable recruits is bothersome. Most are too naïve, too weak, or both. It will take time to prepare another team. When all is said and done however, Virtual Demon has been weakened, and is vulnerable. Now would be the time to strike. If he can be removed, then the entertainment can get underway properly. On my end, there is nothing I can do, not now anyway. By the time I can mobilise an effective offensive, he will be back to full strength, and the attack will fail once more. I need your help. The Over-watch are the only ones with the power to take him down right now.” The man laughs chillingly at the message.

“Good. Very good. The stage is set, the performers are in place, and the audience has gathered. All that remains is the main event. It's show time!”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 3rd 2030 – 1449 JST**

Kirito stares, speechless, as Sora strikes so quickly that he appears in two places momentarily, standing before and behind Otirik. The Sora that stands before Otirik vanishes an instant before the sonic boom shakes the chamber, and Otirik's head falls off. Once more, Sinon joins Sora's side as he finishes inputting a name for the Skill.

“So we've got Executioner's Dance, Cobra Fist Onslaught, and now Sonic Doom. You're fast becoming an insanely overpowering player you know that?” Sora doesn't say anything, only nods. Kirito notices that Sora seems to be exhausted, his hands trembling as well. Sinon leans closer to him, and Kirito struggles to make out what she says.

“Are you okay -a? You don't look so good.” Sora nods, but his voice carries a strong sense of fatigue, emphasised by his panting.

“I'm okay, I think. I may have overestimated the limits of my speed. Creating and using a supersonic skill was more exhausting than I expected, especially considering I used one against the Death Jaw Brothers. I'll have to use Sonic Doom sparingly until I can boost my speed and stamina, or I'll risk losing consciousness. I'll need a few moments to recover from this. I'm sorry, I got cocky as usual.” Sinon shakes her head.

“No, it's okay. You weren't to know. Besides, you're probably still worn out from fighting the Dragons. Like you said, you used a supersonic skill there as well. I'm sure that if you were at peak condition, you would have been just fine. Once we've finished up here, we'll head back to the inn and rest up. You need to take it easy after all this fighting. Losing your arm like that? That's not something that can be recovered from with just a little sit-down.” Sora turns to look at Sinon, smiling tiredly.

“That sounds like all the more reason to finish up as quickly as possible. However, we've still got the Scripted Event to come before we can relax. Let's prepare for that as best we can.” Sora turns to face Kirito, mustering up his strength to appear collected and confident.

“Alright then Kirito, let's see if we can get this right first time. Since this is your first Original Skill recording in DCO, I'd recommend a Skill you're familiar with. Something easy to visualise, and not too fancy. If you go overboard, you'll mess up the Skill and have to delete the failed result. When you record the Skill, don't just think about what it looks like. Focus on what it _feels_ like as well. That sense of feeling is what determines the strength and the speed of each hit. If you focus solely on the appearance, you'll end up with a weak Skill. When you're ready to begin, hold the Scroll in your right hand and activate it as you would a Sword Skill, and focus on the Skill you want to record with every fibre of your being. When you're finished, visualise a plain white two-dimensional square. That's how you stop the recording. Any questions?” Kirito shakes his head.

“No, I understand the process now, I think. Any questions I ask would only lead to confusing answers. I'm pretty sure of that. Well, here goes.” Kirito closes his eyes, calming his breathing. _A Skill I'm familiar with? Nothing too fancy. There's only one that fits the bill, one I've been painstakingly trying to reproduce, but Nebula said it was too easy to counter. He even demonstrated as much, taking on the Starburst Stream with frightening ease. I know he has a reputation for Sword Counters, but that doesn't mean the Skill isn't lacking. I don't think I can rewrite it from scratch, not right now, but I can add to it. That's better than nothing_. He grips the scroll tightly, focusing intently on each strike in detail, what it looks like, what it sounds like, what it feels like. At the end of it all, he imagines a white square. Through his closed eyes, Kirito is aware of a bright light shining, and opens his eyes with some difficulty. The scroll in his right hand is decorated with black runes and strange glyphs. Sora speaks up, anticipating Kirito's next question.

“Now that you've recorded the skill, it's time to try it out. Open up the menu, select Character, then Skills, Original Skills, Practice, Spawn Training Dummy. There'll either be an additional sub-menu listing monsters you can spawn, or else a Lizardman will spawn automatically as the default. If you have a choice, pick the one you feel most comfortable testing the Skill out on.” Kirito nods, then opens up the main menu and navigates through as directed. When he presses 'Spawn Training Dummy', a list of forty-one monsters appears. As Kirito scrolls through the list, he sees a very familiar name. _If that name is here, does that mean the monster is as well? That'll be a tough fight later on then. For now though, I can't think of a more fitting target to practice this Skill on._ Kirito makes his selection, and the monster spawns in. It towers in the centre of the chamber; a Demonic beast with midnight blue fur, vicious jaws, giant curved horns, a great hooded Cobra for a tail, and gleaming blue eyes. Klein looks up at the Demonic beast with a mixture of shock and fear.

“No way! Is that-” Asuna finishes off his question, recognising the monster in a heartbeat.

“The Gleam Eyes?” Kirito steps forwards, drawing both longswords.

“Very fitting don't you think? It's time for round two, and this time with a twist.” Kirito's swords glow blue as he adjusts his stance, and then he charges forwards. Sora watches the proceedings with interest. _So he went with Starburst Stream? I shouldn't be surprised, but I wondered if he had any other worthwhile Skills up his sleeve. Evidently not. Even so, in his hands; that Skill is far more devastating than it was with Otirik. The strikes are more precise, carry a greater speed and land with greater force. Should I ever be on the receiving end of this Skill in Kirito's hands, I will have to be on my guard. I can still counter it, but my range of weapons has just become more limited from observing this. Too light, and the counters will fail. Nothing lighter than two kilograms would work here, and I don't want to exceed three kilograms either. That's a pretty narrow spectrum, limited more or less to one-hand longswords, certain hatchets, and Adamantine maces. Nevertheless, this Starburst Stream is far below my skill level, and... wait, it's not over yet?_ Sora's curiosity increases when, instead of ending on a final thrust; Kirito performs an additional horizontal slash from left to right, first with the right hand sword, then the left, making a full revolution before bringing the right hand sword up in a brutal diagonal slash from bottom left to top right. Gleam Eyes disintegrates, leaving Kirito breathing hard. _Well, it's not as exhausting this time around, but I still need to get stronger and faster, so that I can use it back to back if need be. I'm only at Sword Level 19, but those three extra hits might end up making all the difference. Maybe not against Nebula, but if we ever face any more Dragons, then this ought to level the playing field._ An input box appears, prompting Kirito to name the Skill. He hesitates a moment, before entering a name. Asuna's voice makes him jump as she peers over his right shoulder.

“'Starburst Stream +', well, it's a lot better than a pun. I'd be too embarrassed to use a Skill if it had a name like 'Thor Subject', or whatever.” Kirito smiles at this, and then Sora speaks up.

“Actually, 'Thor Subject' is one of those Special Achievements I've been talking about. You get it by killing a mob with a hammer blow to the... man parts.” Kirito winces sympathetically at this.

“Seriously? That's so not cool.” Sora shrugs.

“Neither's getting your head chopped off, but that'll happen if you're not careful. Sometimes the pills are the only things you can take a shot at, and there's no point in pitying something that's trying to rip you to shreds like a paper bag. Anyway, that Skill wasn't half bad. Better than your Demonic counterpart, that's for sure. Otirik's attacks lacked the speed and ferocity that I saw from you. I'm looking forward to seeing what other Skills you can cook up, once your Sword Level's increased. Still, I'm worried.” Kirito turns to face Sora at this, as does everyone else.

“About what?” Sora folds his arms, looking a little pensive at the same time.

“The training dummies are all monsters that appear in this game. If you can summon Gleam Eyes, that means we'll be facing it, sooner or later. I don't really know anything about it. I've heard it was a boss in SAO, and the one you became famous for, by killing it solo, using Starburst Stream no less. That, is about the extent of my knowledge, and I don't like that. I hate facing unknowns, as those are harder to make plans against. Based upon my observations, I'd have to assume that Gleam Eyes is usually armed with a sword. A big one at that, though technically still a one-hand longsword. I noticed sharp claws as well, and that cobra tail causes me concern also. Not to mention that it's basically a mountain of muscle, and built for high speeds on top of that. No doubt it's also got all manner of skills that inflict paralysis and other movement-restricting conditions. Gleam Eyes... that's going to be a tough enemy to face, but when? Early on, mid game, later levels? I just don't know. And what if there's more than one? What if we have to fight a dozen of them, or a hundred? Protecting all of you is difficult as it is, but this makes it all the more challenging. I don't know if I can protect anyone against a threat I know nothing about, and that's why I'm worried. I have to protect you, all of you, no matter what. If you die here, you really die, and I cannot allow that to happen.” An uncomfortable silence settles over the group after that statement. They can all see the concern in Sora's eyes, and hear it in his voice. His anxiety is genuine, but there is also a hint of self-loathing in his words. Sinon's voice breaks the silence.

“'But Mousie, thou art no thy lane  
In proving foresight may be vain:  
The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men  
Gang aft agley,  
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,  
For promis'd joy!  
Still thou are blest, compared wi'me  
The present only toucheth thee  
But och! I backward cast my e'e  
On prospects drear!  
And forward tho' I canna see,  
I guess an' fear!'” Kirito, Asuna, Klein, Agil, Yui, Suguha and Cassandra all look at Sinon with deep confusion and some concern, as if fearing she's lost her mind. Sora on the other hand looks bemused.

“I never would have thought I'd see the day when someone quoted to me Robert Burns' poem: To a Mouse. That's an eighteenth century poem as well. Most people know the line 'The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men', though I doubt many could tell you the proper meaning, since they take the line out of context. A much shorter and more local expression would be 'Nankurunaisa'. Both I think have the same intended meaning. You're reminding me that plans go wrong, no matter how well thought through, and that I would be best taking things as they come, instead of worrying about whatever may or may not come to pass. Is that about the long and short of it?” Sinon nods.

“That's right. I know you always like to plan ahead as much as possible, but you can't deny that you also produce consistently spectacular results when improvising, reacting upon instinct. Worrying accomplishes nothing, so don't waste time and energy on it.” Sora smiles.

“I suppose you're right about that. Alright, I'll take your advice, and cross that bridge if and when we come to it. Still, I'm surprised you were able to quote such an old poem word for word like that.” Sinon fixes her eyes on Sora.

“I wouldn't have, if it wasn't for the fact that a certain Pistol Prince told me the same thing once, during BoB.” Sora raises an eyebrow.

“Oh really?” _I'd forgotten about that actually. The 428th tournament. Sinon and I formed a very brief team in order to tackle players who were using cheats in an attempt to beat me. I quoted the poem after one of our plans fell through, and she was nearly killed. We improvised, defeated the cheats, and then finished the tournament with a duel, of sorts. Sadly for her, I know every centimetre of the BoB map better than I know the back of my hand. Finding her vantage point was no challenge at all, and a single shot from an FN Five seveN ended the match_. Sora shrugs.

“Well, I can't say I'm surprised. Virtual Demon's full of strange knowledge like that. Actually, he quoted the poem to me as well, during the DRO incident. I've got no qualms with winging it when the time comes, but you may end up regretting the decision to let me loose like that. I'm not known for playing it safe when improvising. I'm reckless, unpredictable, and as dangerous to myself as I am to the enemy. I'm guaranteed to get hurt, and being brought to the brink of death should not be ruled out either, that's highly probable as well. The only thing I can say is that I'll _try_ not to die, but I make no promises. No promises in combat, that's something else old Sora taught me. The tides of battle are always turning, and making a promise within one only seems to tempt fate into killing you before you can fulfil it. I'll _try_ not to die though, on _that_ I can give you my word.” Sinon nods.

“I'll bear that in mind.” Sora turns to Suguha.

“Alright then, so you've seen my new Original Skills, and Kirito's, I guess that makes it your turn Leafa. Make it a good one. No, scratch that. Make it something that'll make my jaw hit the floor.” Suguha frowns at Sora.

“Talk about your tall orders. Well, I got a couple ideas so I'll see what I can do. Just give me a sec while I make up my mind.” Sora smiles playfully.

“No pressure.” Suguha sighs with a shake of her head. _No pressure, gee thanks. Yeah it's true I've got a couple ideas, but I don't see any of them making his jaw drop. I mean it's not like I can pull off a one hundred hit combo. Fifteen at the most. What can I do with that? I dunno. Maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way. Maybe I can use fewer hits to still deal as much damage as a combo three times the size. That's an idea, but will the game allow me to do that? I wonder. Nebula's skills have been pretty impressive. Actually, they seem to exceed his abilities in normal combat. If the system will allow him to do something that extraordinary, just because he envisioned it, then surely..._ that _should be possible too, right? There's only one way to know for sure. If I'm wrong, I'll have wasted an Original Skill. If I'm right, then I'll be able to keep up with Nebula in terms of strength and creativity_. With her mind made up, Suguha grips the scroll and visualises her Skill. Golden light shines from the scroll, and a dense maze of runes criss-cross over the parchment chaotically. With her Skill recorded, Suguha then switches her weapons; swapping the serrated Ninjatō she had been using for a pair of ornate-looking Tantō instead. She navigates her menus, bringing up a short list of training dummies, and making her selection. A tall skeleton spawns in the middle of the room, armed with a rusted Scimitar and Buckler. Suguha grips both blades, which glow emerald in colour, before charging forwards. Her first attack is a crossing slash with both Tantō, from top to bottom. This strike is immediately followed by a spear of wind which pierces the skeleton where her blades crossed over. Her second strike is a scissoring slash at the throat, and again a spear of wind follows, hitting the Skeleton in the centre of the throat. A crossing slash from bottom to top, accompanied by a third wind spear sets Suguha up for her last strike: a second scissor of the throat. This time, instead of a spear of wind; four fists visible only to Suguha pummel the Skeleton, striking its skull and ribcage, crumbling the bones into dust. The Skeleton bursts into shards of data and fades into nothingness. An input box appears, and Suguha names the Skill without having to think about it. She turns, still breathing hard, to see a sea of stunned faces, none more so than Sora's. The Hellborne looks dumbfounded by the spectacle he just witnessed, and fights his surprise to try and speak.

“D-Did you... was that... a-a Sword Skill combined with Magic? I-I'm not... hallucinating... am I? You really used Wind Magic in that Skill, right?” Suguha smiles at Sora's shock, and nods.

“That's right. Pretty impressive, don't you think?” Sora looks utterly flabbergasted.

“Impressive? Talk about an understatement. I didn't think the system would allow such a Skill to exist. How did you even create it?” Suguha can't help smiling, trying not to laugh at Sora's shock.

“You said it yourself, you just visualise the Skill you want to create. I did exactly that. I visualised a Skill that combines magic with swordsmanship. You... want to take a closer look at it?” Sora nods.

“Please. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it though.” Suguha walks up to Sora, and opens up the Skill Bio window. Sora looks at the Skill's details with keen interest.

“Zephyr Cross. I like the name. Fifteen hit combo, with a base damage of... 60-85 per hit? Holy crap! That's a powerful Sword Skill! My Sonic Doom only does 35-50 damage per hit. By combining Magic with the Skill, you've maximised your damage potential to make up for a smaller combo. That's really impressive, but man that eats up a lot of Mana. 130 MP to use the Skill? That's pretty costly. You won't be able to use it back to back, but a Skill that powerful would be best served against a Boss monster anyway. It's a Wind Element Skill, so it would be most effective against bugs, arachnids, Toxic Elementals and similar monsters. We'll be travelling through three forests on our quest, so having a Wind Skill will prove crucial. Damn, I asked you to make my jaw hit the floor, but you actually went and did it. And here I thought _I_ was supposed to be the Swordmage. I'm going to have to take a leaf out of your book for future Original Skills I think. My Cobra Fist Onslaught would have been much better with Magic included. Naturally it would have to be a Poison Element, or else it just wouldn't fit the name. Well then, I'll be watching your development very closely in future. It's not every day that someone impresses me as much as you have. Even Virtual Demon would take an interest in you after seeing that.” Suguha is taken aback by the compliments.

“You think so? I would have thought a Skill like that would be small fry for Virtual Demon.” Sora looks at her darkly.

“Don't be so sure. Sora's a skilled player, but he's by no means omnipotent. Sinon herself proved that in the last BoB, being the first player to injure him in a good few years now. He doesn't become the number one player right off the bat, it takes a little time. Once he grasps the mechanics of a particular virtual world, _then_ he goes into overdrive. He learns fast and he's pretty adaptable. Even so, he's almost never the first person to come up with something completely unorthodox. He only becomes accredited with that due to his existing fame, and with his innate ability to take something he's witnessed and improve upon it on an exponential level. Most games don't allow the combination of Sword Skills and Magic, so it wouldn't make sense for him to try. He might do, eventually, but in a situation like this he wouldn't risk it. That would be too reckless even by his standards.” Suguha raises an eyebrow, looking intrigued.

“Is that so?” Sora nods, but doesn't say any more. A flashing mail icon appears before him, indicating a new message.

“A message from Persia? Oh... she's probably checking up on me after I got smacked around by the Dragons. You guys take five and ready yourselves for more combat, I need to speak with Persia, and send her new info on Monsters, Achievements, items and whatnot. This could take a little while so make the most of it.” 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 3rd 2030 – 1532 JST**

A tall man with dark, greying hair, cold grey eyes and a wrinkling face stands in the centre of a well-lit office. Encircling him is a bank of thirty computers, each computer operated by a man or woman, all of whom share a similar sinister expression: of hungry expectation. All eyes are on the man in the centre.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the Over-Watch; we have received a request for help from our brother Johnny. Our celebrities are in place, as is Black Widow, but it seems that the Virtual Demon is more tenacious than we anticipated. The first strike team has fallen, leaving only Johnny alive. Virtual Demon has been wounded however, meaning that _now_ is the time to act, and remove that cockroach. Our brothers and sisters inside DCO will not be able to do so before he recovers, and so it falls to us to ensure his doom. This I intend to do, but there is another matter that needs to be addressed as well. The hostages are getting rowdy, and too arrogant. They believe themselves to be safe now, protected by a mass of guilds as well as the NPC watch force. We need to remind them that death is only a second away at all times. Perhaps we can even combine the two. Any suggestions?” A young woman with dark crimson hair and pale green eyes offers her opinion.

“We could send in a mid-level Dragon. Taking it down would be challenging, and the destruction it would cause would remind the hostages that they are powerless in that world.” A young male with a shaved head and brown eyes shakes his head.

“That's not a good idea. As long as Virtual Demon is present, even in his wounded state he'll pose a huge threat. He took out the final boss in DRO almost entirely solo, and he was completely alone when he cleared the final 11 floors of New Aincrad. He's motivated to fight, motivated to win, and even if he's a far lower level, he won't allow for any other outcome. We know that already. He took out that Level 30 Champion in less than five minutes, barely even taking a scratch in the process. All that despite being less than half his opponent's level. Besides, a single enemy would be no use even without Virtual Demon's assistance. There are thousands of active guilds; more than enough to defeat a monster as high as Level 50 through swarm tactics. We need a different approach, one that will cause so much chaos that organising an efficient counter-attack will be impossible.” The central man looks expectantly at the shaven man.

“What do you have in mind, Locust?” The shaven man outlines his plan confidently.

“We know that Virtual Demon's guild is currently inside the Tower of Kraler. QZR Studios were kind enough to announce that upon clearing that tower; players will enter immediately into a Scripted Event: an Assault-type quest. During this event, all players not involved in it are teleported to a copy of the starting town, protecting them from the monsters that will be spawned. So: what if they _don't_ teleport? What if they remain in Kraler when the monsters invade and run rampant?” The central man grins maliciously, even psychotically. _Leave it to Locust to come up with the most chaotic of ideas. It's a solid plan. The players won't see it coming, and nor will the celebrities. All that's left is to ensure that our unwanted cockroach gets crushed_. The crimson haired girl voices her concerns.

“Would that be enough? It's my understanding that the monsters in that assault range from Level 12 to Level 16. There'll only be a few dozen monsters as well. It'll cause a panic, but ultimately those monsters won't last long. There'll be almost no casualties either, right?” The central man responds before Locust can.

“That's not a problem. We're more than capable of editing the monsters. We can increase their levels and their numbers sufficiently enough to achieve our goals. However, we mustn't over do it. We'll want everyone to believe that this was a glitch, not that it was deliberate. If they know we're involved, and that we can kill them at a moment's notice, then the hostages will resort to mass suicide. We'll weaken our own position that way, so we mustn't let that happen. If we do this right, then the hostages will assume the Scripted Event went wrong due to Reality Bytes interfering with the game's coding. No-one yet knows that there's a third party involved in this incident, and we need to keep it that way. Above all else, we must make sure that Reality Bytes takes the fall for this, not VR. So, we tamper with the Scripted Event. Up the monsters' levels, increase their numbers. That'll be the start of it. We can do two more things. The first is to remove Kraler's Safe Zone status. The hostages will assume that this is Reality Bytes' doing, a means of keeping them fearful. We don't need to allow high level monsters to spawn. Even simple Slimes and Goblins will be enough to keep people on edge, make them paranoid. The second... is aimed purely at removing Virtual Demon. We need to let our brothers and sisters in on the plan, and have them mobilise on the town. While their priority is that cockroach, letting them indulge in the hunt won't hurt our plans either, and will help keep the hostages fearful. Once the Virtual Demon is sent to Hell, we can start the show for real. Are we all in agreement?” One by one, the occupants of the room nods their approval. Behind the central man, a young woman with short black hair raises her voice.

“There _is_ one thing we should be cautious of. I've been monitoring Reality Bytes, their communications and so forth, and they make repeated mention of someone called 'Valkyrie'. This person is supposed to be inside the game, but they are not with the others atop the final dungeon.” The central man faces the girl curiously.

“What do you know of this Valkyrie?” The girl shakes her head uncertainly.

“Not a lot about him has been spoken, so it's difficult for me to be sure. They're a VRMMO veteran, that's certain. They're a highly respected member of Reality Bytes as well, and supposedly one of the most motivated. From what I gather, he has a supply of weapons and items that have been ported over from other games. If that's true, then he may end up thwarting this plan and any others we set in motion in the future. I doubt that a swarm of monsters would last long against a Minigun. There _is_ a potential silver lining, but I can't stress the 'potential' part enough since I cannot confirm it: Valkyrie has not made contact with his fellow hackers yet. He was supposed to make hourly reports, and ensure that the players could never interfere with Reality Bytes, but so far there has been no word from him. More than that is that his game name is not among the listed players. It's _possible_ that Valkyrie has been killed already, somehow, but we should still take steps to prepare just in case he's still alive.” The central man nods.

“I see. Yes, it would be foolish of us to assume that he's dead. We'll prepare contingencies in the event of his intervention, but the plan will still need to go ahead. The stage is set, the players are in place, and the audience watches hungrily. It's show time!”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 3rd 2030 – 1553 JST**

Sora scrutinizes the treasure chest fastidiously, casting a chain of spells over it in an effort to discover any kind of traps. The chest itself is pretty suspicious. Measuring two hundred centimetres in length, ninety centimetres in width and one hundred fifty centimetres in height, it is by no means small. Pitch black in colour, cold to the touch, and covered in silver studs and spikes, nothing about the chest's appearance is subtle. Yet, no-one had seen the chest before the fight against the Death Jaw Brothers. It had quite literally materialised out of thin air. Sora frowns at the chest as his spells end, revealing nothing out of the ordinary.

“Hmm. So either my skills are too low level, or else this chest is legitimately safe to open. What do you think Yui? Safe to open or rigged to blow?” Yui flutters down onto the lid of the chest, before pacing back and forth.

“I'm not sensing any kind of traps. Nothing like that is programmed here. This chest was _meant_ to appear, as a part of the Path of Destiny storyline. It's safe to open, but I can't say for certain what's inside. There are too many possible outcomes, determined by a Random Number Generator. At any rate, it won't harm us.” Sora shrugs.

“Well, that's good to hear. Alright then, let's see if Schrödinger's Cat is alive.” Without waiting for any kind of objection, Sora opens the chest. Golden light shines out briefly, and then an item list appears before him. Everyone receives an item list, except for Sinon who receives two lists. Sora examines his item list carefully. _That's a Hell of a lot of money. 75,000 gold coins? Not just that, but ten thousand Platinum coins and a thousand Astral Diamonds as well. Wait a minute... I remember reading something about that. Astral Diamonds are the most valuable currency in DCO, but they play some kind of special relevance to the main storyline. What was it again? I can't seem to recall it right now. It'll come back to me in time I guess. Well, it's not like we're going to need to spend them on anything, so there's no immediate concern. Aside from the money, I also gained a load of potions, Steel ingots, Adamantine ingots, and second tier crafting equipment. Useful stuff all in all, so I'm not complaining. I wonder if everyone else got the same as me?_ Sora walks around the chamber, glancing at everyone's reward lists. He notices that the money and potions are all the same, but that's all. Klein has no crafting materials, only Holy Water, religious totems and divine scrolls. _So then, the rewards are linked to our characters, rather than a generic reward. Klein's a Paladin, so he has a number of religious items that his character can use. I've been training up my blacksmithing and crafting skills, so my rewards reflect that. Asuna and Yui are training their Apothecary stat, so they have potion ingredients. Very interesting_. Sora stops beside Sinon, noticing her second list. Sinon frowns at this list as well, before glancing at Sora.

“Can _you_ make any sense of this? I'm at a loss.” Sora takes a closer look, his right eyebrow rising quickly.

“Ah! Those look like Guild rewards. Rather than purchasing some form of Guild Hall, DCO guilds are required to build their own hideouts. On the one hand, it allows for more creativity and variety, rather than having guilds using borderline identical halls. The downside is that it's a massive pain in the arse. You have to find a suitable location to set up the hall, locate parts with which to construct the hall, and then build it from scratch. We can get those parts from Path of Destiny dungeons, from certain side quests, and from Elasmeer as well once we get there. Whether or not we actually bother to do that is another matter. A Guild Hall gives us a Safe Zone to sleep and spawn at. Monsters cannot enter a Guild Hall at all, so we'd be truly safe there. It would also increase our capacity for storing money and items. The thing is, building Guild Halls takes time and energy, neither of which we're exactly overflowing with. Last I checked, I'm the only one capable of building the Hall, which will take ages. Then there's the question of where to build it. Too close to Kraler and it becomes pointless. Same on the other end with Elasmeer. Still, Guild Halls can be useful. For now, the parts you just gained have been stored in our Guild Storage, along with that mountain of gold coins. If we decide to build the Hall later on, we can. If we choose not to, that's fine too. I don't know how long we'll be in the game, so I don't know how worthwhile a Guild Hall will be. We don't have to decide right now of course. There's no rush on that decision. Not until we get to the Canyon of a Thousand Deaths. There's no point building a Hall after then since we'll be too close to Elasmeer.” Sinon closes both item lists, her expression somewhat distant.

“I see. That's interesting, but not necessarily useful. Still, it's good to have that option available to us should we decide to build a hall. I don't want to waste any more time in here than we have to, but at the same time; having a Guild Hall may end up saving us time in the long run. I'll keep what you said in mind while I ruminate on this. Maybe we'll build a hall, or maybe we won't. At the moment, there's no real need for such a thing. We haven't left Kraler yet, so having a hall right now won't be of much benefit to us as we progress along the Path of Destiny. I'm more interested in where this chest came from, or why it's here at all.” Cassandra answers this, announcing her proximity to the conversation.

“It was programmed to materialise once the first Destiny Quest was completed. There'll be more chests exactly like this one in future dungeons. They remain hidden during the boss fights, and appear only once the quest has been completed. This is a Destiny Chest. As you've already seen, it doesn't give weapons or armour, only money, potions and other resources. There'll be eleven more Destiny Chests for us to find before we reach the Tower of the Gods.” Sora looks intrigued.

“Oh, so _that's_ what a Destiny Chest is. I'd seen them mentioned on the QZR website, but I never got around to investigating them any further. Wait, then that should mean we'll have each received our second Destiny Die.” He navigates his menus quickly, bringing up his inventory. Sure enough, an additional Destiny Die is present. He takes it out of storage, and holds it in his right palm along with his first Die.

“Yep, there it is. I should keep these two on hand. You never know when we might need them.” Cassandra frowns at this.

“Are you crazy? You can die a billion different ways because of the Destiny Dice, and you want to keep them handy? Not only that, but you plan on using them again, even though they can legitimately kill you in real life?” Sora pockets the Destiny Dice.

“I don't _plan_ on using them, but odds are I'll need to. I know the risks involved, but that won't stop me. Sometimes skill alone isn't enough to earn victory. Don't forget that it was because of the Destiny Die that I was able to stop the pandemonium after my first Calming Spell failed, and it was the Destiny Die that allowed me to disarm Elric and beat him into submission. Sometimes you just have to roll a hard seven and hope for the best. Besides, there's no guarantee that I'll be killed on a bad roll. There _are_ other penalties, such as the loss of your class, a level reset, the loss of your inventory, and countless other non-fatal penalties. The odds of death are actually relatively low, even for a game as challenging as this one is designed to be. I like those odds, and as long as I do, I'll continue to roll the dice. As a last resort of course, I'm not _that_ stupid.” Before Cassandra can respond to this, Klein calls over.

“Hey Nebula, what do you make of this?” Sora walks over to the back wall where Klein stands, along with Suguha and Agil. The three are gathered around a small cluster of images, and writing in jagged script. The images depict a purple arrow pointing to the east, a green dragon flying over a vast forest of pine trees and conifers, and shimmering emerald Roman numerals. Sora glances at the wall for barely a second before answering.

“Now this I _did_ read about. Along our journey there's going to be several clues about where to go next and what we may be facing. The script is Draconic, and reads 'Follow the Dragons to fulfil a Prophetic Destiny.' The arrow points eastwards, towards the Evergreen Death, which is the forest shown here. The numerals obviously are the number two, signifying that the forest is the location of the second Destiny Chest. The Green Dragon is almost certainly going to be an adversary in that area, but whether it's the main boss or not is another matter. Oh, joy. Green Dragons are almost always poison elementals. Cunning, vicious, and they have the ability to camouflage into their surroundings as well. That's going to be a laugh a minute. Being poisoned sucks, especially in this game, and I speak from experience on that one.” Sinon joins him, looking at the images with a worried expression.

“More Dragons... that's not what I was hoping to hear. They will either be in a group, like the three we just faced, or alone. If they're alone though, they'll be much higher level. I don't know if you noticed, but those Death Jaw Brothers ranged from Level 10 to Level 14. A solo Green Dragon could be as high as Level 35. These three were mere hatchlings by comparison, and yet they nearly killed the two of us. Next time we might not be so lucky.” A quest notification appears before Sora.

“Scripted Event: Kraler Assault. This event cannot be forfeit. Press OK to begin.” Sora glances at Sinon, smiling reassuringly.

“Try not to worry about it so much. We learn from our mistakes by making them. What happened here will not be repeated, you have my word on that. There's a possibility that Cyraxis will return to aid us, but even if he doesn't, we'll manage. We'll be stronger, wiser, and better prepared. Klein has his Snowstorm Katana, and I don't plan on entering that forest without Durandal, so it's not like we'll be lacking in the DPS department. As long as we don't make any rookie mistakes, we'll be fine, just you wait and see. We can discuss this further later on, but right now we should focus on the Assault. Most of the mobs will be fairly low level, up to Level 12 at the highest. There'll be some form of commander, who'll probably be around Level 15 or 16. This isn't some random mob spawn, it's a tactical offensive, so expect soldiers. I'm thinking Orcs, Lizardmen, Minotaurs, low-level Demons, maybe Vampires and Werewolves as well. Ice, Lightning, Spirit and Light elements will be the best bet to use here. Wounding doesn't work on Lizardmen, while Demons are resistant to both Fire and Shadow. As for the Commander; they're probably an Oni, a Cambion, an Orc Chieftain, or a Dragonborn Champion. Worst case scenario: an Archon of some description. Sinon and I will take care of the Commander, as long as the rest of you can keep the grunts off of our backs. I don't mean to doubt your abilities or anything, but Sinon and I are the only players above Level 10 here, so we're the only ones who won't get one-shot by the Commander. Any questions?” Klein raises a hand.

“What's a Cambion?” Sora draws swords, gesturing for the others to do likewise.

“A Fire Demon. They always carry flaming swords, and love burning things. If you happen to see one, be sure to demonstrate the power of your Snowstorm Katana, but _only_ if they're a grunt. Like I said: leave the Commander to me and Sinon. I'd like to get this wrapped up quickly so that I can repair my Death Viper. The durability is starting to run a little low, so I'm reserving it for the boss fight only. Sinon: I'll leave formation to you.” Sinon nods.

“We'll divide into teams of three. Kirito, Suguha and Asuna will form Team One. Klein, Agil and Cassandra will be Team Two. Yui, you'll be with Nebula and I on Team Three. Suguha, Agil and Nebula will lead each team while the rest flank behind. We'll sweep through in Delta formation with a five metre spread. Team Two will be at the forefront, so stay sharp out there. Team One will take left flank, Team Three will take right flank. We'll cut through the weakest mobs first before focusing on the tanks in a three-point surround. No heroics, no showing off, and no competing to see who can get the most kills. You can't brag when you're dead, so set your ego to one side and focus on the task in hand. That's directed mostly at you Kirito. I haven't forgotten what you tried to pull with Sabre Rattler, nor your competition with Klein on the second floor. He beat you fair and square there, so be gracious in defeat and don't get cocky. I can't guarantee that Nebula will save your arse again, so make sure it doesn't need saving. Got it?” Kirito gulps nervously.

“Yes ma'am.” Sinon nods again.

“Good, then we're all set to go.” Sora fights to hide his grin as he turns back to the quest notification. Just as his finger presses 'OK', the button seems to flicker momentarily, almost like a television channel receiving interference.

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**March 3rd 2030 – 1555 JST**

Director Shiraishi looks at Shiro incredulously, disbelieving what he just heard.

“Y-you can't be serious... I-if we lose him... if we lose the Virtual Demon... what hope is there?” Midori Kirigaya looks pale as well.

“How long does he have?” Shiro shakes his head.

“There's no way to tell. By all rights, he shouldn't even be here now. His condition was forecast to reach a terminal stage five years ago, and yet Sora has defied that. This isn't unheard of, there have been other cases living beyond their expectancy. Some have managed to stay alive for decades afterwards, but we can't afford to assume that Sora will do the same. Dr Samson has noted that Sora is adamant to defy his own mortality for as long as possible. In fact, Dr Samson believes that this may be the result of Sora's search.” Kathy frowns at this.

“His search? What exactly is it that Sora's searching for?” Shiro takes a moment to organise his thoughts before answering.

“Akihiko Kayaba. As I said, Sora's older sister was one of the four thousand victims of Sword Art Online. To this day, he doesn't know exactly how she died, whether it was murder, suicide, a trap, a boss fight, or any other possibility. Sora devoted his life to uncovering the answer of how his sister died. It seems that he's trying to gain an audience with Kayaba not just to learn about his sister's fate, but also to punish the man for imprisoning her within that game to begin with. The rumours state that Kayaba will meet with the world's greatest VRMMO gamer, so Sora dedicated himself entirely to becoming just that. Even though he has achieved that, Kayaba has not yet appeared. Instead of taking this as evidence that the rumours were false, Sora believes that he simply isn't strong enough yet. When Destiny's Calling was announced, and the claim was made that it would be impossible to complete solo; Sora vowed to prove that claim wrong, by clearing the game by himself. That may be why he has declared war against Reality Bytes. By trying to turn DCO into a second SAO, Reality Bytes have effectively come between Sora and his quest. They've earned his wrath by threatening to prevent him from learning the truth about his sister. He's determined not to die, but that doesn't mean he'll survive. If the game doesn't kill him, his condition will. It's only a matter of time, and the longer he remains in that game, pushing himself beyond his limits, the more likely it is that he will perish.” Before anyone can respond to this grim statement, there is a harried knock on the conference room door that barely precedes its opening, as Hiro enters; looking panicked and ghostly, panting heavily. Shiraishi regards the programmer with great concern.

“Hiro? What's wrong?” Hiro struggles to speak, his breathing ragged and on the verge of hyperventilation.

“It's... the Kraler Assault Event. The players... it didn't teleport the players!” What little colour had been left in Shiraishi's face by this point drains away completely.

“Mother of God!”


	8. Assault, Chaos & Virtual Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Kraler Assault: A Scripted Event in which a task force of monsters under the leadership of a mid-level Commander attacks the town of Kraler. Only those who have just cleared the Tower of Kraler participate in the Scripted Event. Everyone else is relocated to the Mirror Server. At least, that is how things were supposed to happen. This time however, the event has been tampered with, and everyone is caught up in the event. Can the players of DCO survive the Assault and the chaos it brings? Can Sora survive another encounter with Red Players? And just how many Virtual Demons are there?

**March 3rd 2030 – 1559 JST**

It takes a few seconds for Sora's eyes to adjust after the light of teleportation fades away. When they do, he sees that he stands on the outskirts of Kraler. A familiar Hellish scene lay before him, as fires rage, billowing smoke into the sky. Buildings stand barely intact or else lay in total ruin. Craters mark the detonation of Blasting Spells and similar attacks. A mess of footprints sprawls into town, making it impossible to determine how many enemies have infiltrated. Above the crackling of flames comes bestial roars, frenzied war cries, terrified screams and the clashing of steel on steel. Sora takes it all in uneasily. _I underestimated the scale of the Kraler Assault. I thought it would be more along the lines of a few groups of bandits, but this looks more like a full-fledged army. We need to move quickly, or there'll be nothing left but debris_. Up ahead, a pair of Orcs emerge from the ruins of an old cottage, grunting away at each other. Sora charges at the pair, keen to finish the battle quickly. He barely registers Sinon's voice as she shouts at him, let alone the words she speaks. Sora slashes at the Orcs quickly, aiming for their exposed throats. As his blades cut deeply, he sees that their health bars barely empty. Only then does he realise what Sinon had tried to warn him about: the Orcs are both Level 16. The nearest of the two Orcs slams an armoured and spiked fist into Sora's sternum, before the other Orc hammers Sora's right side with a Morning Star. The Hellborne is lifted from his feet and sent hurtling into the ruined cottage, as more than a third of his health bar vanishes. Sora struggles back onto his feet, barely able to breathe. _This isn't right. Level 16? These aren't Commanders, they're grunts. They should be lower level than this, so why? Is it just an anomaly? Maybe they're supposed to be higher to ramp up the difficulty a little, while the rest are the same as they should be. But then... what if they're not? What if these two Orcs are the weakest enemies we'll be facing in this event? It doesn't matter. It can't matter. I'm the Virtual Demon, and if necessary: I'll break my cover and show the others the real me. I hate the idea of doing that prematurely, but if Sinon's life is at risk, I won't hesitate. Not for her_. As the two Orcs charge at Sora, he rushes out to meet them in battle. The Orc with the Morning Star leads the charge, and swings ferociously at Sora's head. Sora parries with his right hand sword, forcing the Morning Star upwards, and thrusts with his left hand sword, before reversing his grip on both and activating a thirty-four hit Sword Skill consisting almost exclusively of lightning fast slashes that target the Orc's head and neck. As Sora brings the Sword Skill to a close with a stab to the spine, the second Orc jumps in, slashing with an excessively serrated longsword. Sora deflects the attack and frees up his other sword in the same movement, before spiralling around to slash the first Orc's face with both swords, emptying its health bar. The second Orc strikes again, thrusting for Sora's right lung with vicious speed. Sora shifts to his left and parries the blade, throwing the Orc off balance and leaving him vulnerable to a glancing blow to the face. Sora adjusts his footing and prepares to take advantage of the Orc's vulnerability, charging up two separate Sword Skills at once, when the Orc's own sword glows blood red. Half of its health bar empties without any visible cause, and then the Orc slashes with phenomenal speed, ripping both of Sora's swords from his hands. An arrow pierces through the Orc's left knee as it prepares to slash Sora, throwing the attack wildly off target. Two more arrows burrow into the Orc's back, and another pair pierce its head, bursting into flames upon penetration. The Orc disintegrates only a fraction of a second before Sora's swords hit the ground. He barely has time to recover the blades before he hears footsteps, and a voice calling to him.

“You're back! Thank God! We need you!” Sora looks at the speaker, freezing at the site of her white hair, tail and ears.

“P-Persia? H-How? How can you be here? I don't-” Persia interjects as she comes to a halt before Sora.

“There's something wrong with the Scripted Event. The players... they haven't been teleported.” Asuna gasps at this as she and the others catch up to Sora.

“You mean... they're _here_? They're caught up in this Event too? What should we do?” A wave of fear pulses through Sora's heart. _The player relocation failed? Was it a glitch? No, it can't have been. So far there's been no bugs in the game, not even a small one. Then there's only one explanation: this was sabotage, but not Reality Bytes. That would hurt them. Killing a couple of players, sure, but something like this is too extreme. Oh God! Of course, I'm fucking retarded! There's a third party involved in this disaster._ They're _the ones who screwed with this Event. They_ want _people to die, and they want Reality Bytes to be blamed for that. People who want to kill others, and protect VR at the same time. It's Red Players. There was an infamous group of them once, wasn't there?_ They _must be the ones behind this current situation. I won't let them get what they want. If they want to kill, then they must also be prepared to die. Time for the hunters to become the hunted._ Sora grips his swords tightly as he suppresses his fear, replacing it with determination.

“Change of plans. We're abandoning the Assault, for now at least. Persia: I want you to rally the Kraler Guard and start bringing everyone to the Church of Aethilar. Not just the women and the children; get everyone, even the NPCs. Sinon; take the others with you and help out. We'll gather every single player and NPC to the Church, and only _then_ will we go on the offensive. There's no way this assault can survive so many players. If fighting _has_ to take place: one party _per monster_. Doesn't matter what monster it is, never take it on with less than six players. Their levels are wrong, their skills are wrong, their tactics are wrong. Disregard everything we know about them, even the most familiar of mobs. They've been altered, so we have to treat them as a brand new enemy, something we've never fought before. If you see the Commander, run. Don't think, don't fight, just run. I doubt even _I'm_ strong enough to survive it one-on-one, so don't try it even with a party. Once we're all gathered at the Church, we'll plan out the next courses of action. We'll work together as a team, forming an army of sorts. We have superior numbers, but that means nothing if we're panicked and too spread out. Get everyone to safety first, _then_ push back.” Sinon looks at Sora worriedly as he unfurls his crimson wings.

“What will _you_ do?” Sora drinks a potion, restoring his health and Mana before answering.

“Gather intel on this assault force and its leader, and bring back any stragglers I come across. In all this chaos, there's likely to be people left behind. Anyone who has been isolated like that will be killed, so it's up to me to make sure that doesn't happen.” Asuna looks shocked by the suggestion.

“Shouldn't I come with you? I can fly too you know.” Sora shakes his head.

“There's going to be wounded players gathering at the Church. There's no telling how many there'll be either. We'll need as many Healers on hand as possible. Besides, I'm a higher level. If I get shot down, I can break clear, recover, and take off again. If you get shot down... you might not be so lucky. No offence, but I've seen how you fly. You haven't adapted to the laws of this world as quickly as I have. This isn't ALO, so that kind of flying is suicidal.” Asuna looks annoyed, but she doesn't object.

“Yui; go with him, and make sure he isn't just bragging to try and put us at ease.” Yui nods and flies over to Sora, perching on his head and holding onto his left horn. Sinon's anxiety doesn't fade.

“Come back alive. Both of you. Don't take any risks, no matter how much you think it might benefit us in the long run. I'd rather have a difficult fight with you by my side than without you.” Sora nods.

“I'll meet you all at the Church as soon as I can, and I'll bring back as many people as possible. It's too dangerous for me to try anything stupid, so don't worry about that. We'll all make it out of this just fine, you'll see. We'll show Reality Bytes that nothing will ever divide us, that we are a united front, and that together we are invincible.” Without waiting for any further response, Sora sweeps his wings powerfully, launching himself skywards. There is a moment wherein his flight is unsteady, even drunken, but only for a few seconds. As Sora flies into town, Persia takes control of the group.

“Alright, you heard his plan so let's act on it. The Kraler Guard headquarters is eight hundred metres south-east of us. Main Square, Pine Street and Mountain Road have all been overrun, so our only option is to take Elm Street. I hope one of you has a Tapir, because we could do without a nightmare. Let's go.” Klein stares at her dreamily.

“I'll follow you anywhere.” Persia turns her back on him with an irritated flick of her tail.

“Save your breath wolf-man, I only have eyes for Nebula.” As Persia sets the group's pace at a steady jog, Asuna moves up beside her to ask some questions.

“So why _do_ you have feelings for Nebula? There must be something I'm missing, right?” Persia doesn't look at Asuna as she answers.

“There's probably a lot you're missing. You've only just met him, I've known him for years. Don't forget that we were together in DRO for seventeen straight days. You can learn a lot about a person in that time, especially when conversation is just about the only thing keeping you sane. Nebula's a good man, and the best friend I could ask for. One of his defining traits is his resolve. He never gives up, no matter what life throws at him. He won't quit, and he won't fail either. Once he sets his mind on something, he'll see it through to a conclusion that he can be satisfied with, and no other. He knows what he's doing, even when it seems like the opposite is true, and he knows full well every risk he's facing and every consequence of his actions. He always chooses the right path, but sometimes doing so can scare the Hell out of me and everyone else with him. He won't hesitate to risk his life for other people, especially if he cares about them. To say that I trust him would be an understatement. I don't even have to think about putting my life in his hands. I know that I'll be perfectly safe in doing so, even if the situation seems to suggest otherwise. Nebula's incredibly strong, and I don't just mean his fighting skills. He has a strong heart, like you wouldn't believe. It takes a lot to make him feel fear, and even then he'll almost never hesitate. He has a softer side to him of course, but he rarely shows it, especially in public places. He hates showing vulnerability. I guess that's the one thing that annoys me about him: he always has to appear strong, invincible even. Trying to get him to open up about anything is like trying to get blood from a stone. You know he only told me about his sister four months ago? And yet he's already told Sinon, despite her barely knowing him. I don't know why that is, but I guess it ties in with why he respects her so much.” Asuna thinks back to the Tower of Kraler.

“Her name was Akatsuki, right? She died in SAO didn't she?” Persia stops dead, and grabs Asuna by the collar.

“How the Hell do _you_ know about Akatsuki?” Sinon places a hand on Persia's shoulder, trying to calm the girl.

“Easy now, easy. She didn't find out from Nebula if that's what's bothering you. While we were clearing the Tower, we encountered a Succubus. We could see what she was, but not Nebula. He really believed that the Succubus was his sister. He said that she'd projected the memory of his sister into his mind, and mimicked her voice as well. The Succubus almost succeeded in turning him against us, but I was able to snap him out of it.” Persia releases Asuna, appearing on the verge of tears.

“My God... so he was confronted by his own fears then. Ever since he lost her, Nebula's always blamed himself for Akatsuki's death. The Succubus would have picked up on this and used that knowledge against him, in an effort to control him. That poor guy. When we finish up here, I'll have to spend some time with him, help counsel him through that ordeal. Being confronted by his biggest personal demon, his worst nightmare; that's not something you can fix with a good night's rest. Now I'm even more determined to beat the shit out of Reality Bytes for what they're doing. As if Nebula hasn't been through enough already.” Kirito steps forward as a question weighs on his mind.

“How did the Succubus do it though? How did she even know about Nebula's sister? The AmuSphere doesn't have that kind of capacity.” Persia looks at Kirito curiously.

“Huh? You're still using the AmuSphere? While antiquated by today's standards, that might actually end up saving your life in here. You'll be limited in terms of Sword Skills, flight and things like that, but you'll be protected from Succubi and other telepathic monsters. DCO was designed specifically to push the boundaries of technology and science to its limits, that's why QZR Studios released its own Full Dive rig; the SoulMersion. This new rig has so much tech contained inside it, it's almost unreal to think about. The SoulMersion is capable of scanning and decoding your brain waves so accurately that it can even access repressed memories and dreams from when you were an infant. It's that feature in particular that caught the eye of the medical field, and they've adapted the SoulMersion into the existing Medicuboid rig, to create the fifth generation Medicuboid. It's predominantly used for tackling Alzheimer's, Dementia, and trauma-induced memory-loss. Anyway, the long and short of all this is that the SoulMersion, and by extent the game, can detect what you're thinking, what you're imagining, and translate that into the Virtual world. That's why Nebula's appearance seems abnormally customised. That's why he can fly in this world without any practice as well, or manoeuvre his tail like it's actually a part of him. It also allows him to use mind-boggling Sword Skills that can even slay Gods. If he can visualise it, he can and will create it. The AmuSpheres were recently patched to allow a very basic version of this, so that you can create Sword Skills without actually performing them first, but that's about the extent of it. The downside to the SoulMersion is that our thoughts and memories can be accessed by any being strong enough to overpower our defences. When Nebula fought against the Spirit that scarred him, he would have seen _its_ thoughts as well. It's a two-way connection after all. I run a SoulMersion, so does Nebula. So do most players in this game, since they wanted to be the best that they possibly could be. That's why the Succubus knew about Akatsuki. Nebula is always thinking of her, so it would have been all-too easy for the Succubus to access those memories and mimic her appearance, and her voice.” Cassandra nods.

“That's exactly right, that was one of the many major selling points of Destiny's Calling. Unlimited avatar customisation, realistic flight, additional body parts that you can actually feel and control, and Sword Skills unlike anything you've ever seen before. All of that is possible thanks to the SoulMersion, but you're forgetting something Kirito: You're not using an AmuSphere now. You're at QZR Studios, remember? We use the SoulMersion rigs there, so everything Nebula's capable of doing, you can do too. Everything he's vulnerable to as well, you are likewise vulnerable to.” Kirito pauses.

“Oh right, I'd forgotten about that. We were in a hurry, so I didn't really think about the rigs we were using. If that's the case, I'll need to keep an eye out for Succubi too. There's some memories from SAO I'd rather not have to face again. I don't think I could stand it a second time.” Persia starts jogging again, eager to keep everyone moving.

“When you get the chance, speak to Nebula about that. He's a walking encyclopedia, so he'll have no end of advice for you. In the short term: raise your Wisdom and Fortitude stats. They're your best defence against Succubi, other than killing them on sight of course. There's bound to be items that can protect you as well, so keep an eye out for that too. For now though, let's focus on the task at hand. Elm Street's just up ahead, so get that Tapir ready.”

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**March 3rd 2030 – 1614 JST**

Sora banks left, sweeping over west Kraler, observing the raging fires below, left in the wake of rampaging mobs. Yui looks at this as well, becoming deeply saddened.

“It feels almost as if I'm looking into Hell. I can't believe that Reality Bytes would do something like this.” Sora skirts around a billowing pillar of smoke before swooping lower down.

“This isn't as horrifying as the initial chaos of our imprisonment. There was more fear and paranoia at that time. Players were turning against one another in what can only be described as madness. Still, it _is_ a dire situation. You should also know that this _wasn't_ Reality Bytes. I'm not sure who it is exactly, but there's a third party involved, people addicted to PKing at that. I should have seen it coming really. At any rate, this third party is here to hijack Reality Bytes' plans. They're actually seeking to defend VR, in their own way. They're going to indulge in their bloodlust, and make sure that Reality Bytes gets the full blame for those deaths. That's a part of why I'm up here right now. I mean, I _am_ looking for the Assault Commander, and for any stragglers, but at the same time I'm also hunting for Red Players. I hope you're ready for battle, because I'm counting on you to watch my back. My life is in your hands, as it were.” Yui looks at Sora in surprise. She then sees something that shocks her to her core.

“No way! Sora... is it true? Your location signal... the rig you're using... it can't be-” Sora suddenly drops several metres, and Yui picks up on his surprise, even before he speaks.

“Oh God fucking dammit! You can see _that_? Shit! No-one's supposed to know about that, not in _here_ at least. Fuck me, that's not something I'm prepared to deal with right now! Look, Yui: don't worry about that. I'm here, I'm fine, there's no problems that I can foresee. I'll get everyone out of here, bring down Reality Bytes, and save the Virtual World. You have my word on that. Nothing is going to stop me from upholding my promise.” Yui looks entirely sceptical.

“But you're-” Sora cuts her off.

“No buts Yui! I won't let that happen. I refuse to. I still have work to do. I have questions that need answering, lives that need saving, and a promise to Sinon that I vehemently refuse to break. Don't pay any attention to what the rig says. I'm five years past that outcome anyway, and I fully intend to go on for five more at least. I haven't achieved my goal yet; I haven't found Kayaba. I need to get stronger, much stronger, and gain an audience with him. When I do, I'll find out what happened to my sister, and then I'll punish him for it. Not just for her, but for all four thousand SAO victims. Until then, I'm going to keep on fighting. This game can throw anything it wants at me, be it Dragons or Demons or Gods, and I'll defeat them all. I absolutely will not die. I can't, not until I know how Akatsuki died. Even then, I still need to stay alive. I have to end this crisis, bring Reality Bytes to justice and save the Virtual World. That's the only outcome to this situation I'll allow, so no matter what happens, I'll make sure that's how things play out. Then there's Sinon. I swore I'd get her out of here alive, even if I have to sacrifice myself in the process. If I have to die, then I choose to die for Sinon, you got that?” Sora rolls without warning, narrowly avoiding two bolts of lightning fired up from the ground.

“Yui! Focus! My life is in your hands, so don't let go of it! We can discuss this later if we have to but for now I need you to help me!” Yui falters, struggling to come to terms with everything. _What should I do? We need Sora in order to escape this place, but we're going to lose him at any moment. There's no telling when he could die. He claims that he'll be fine, he's trying to convince me that he won't die, but how can I believe that? His condition is irreversible, and in the terminal stage. He could even perish up here. I don't want to think about that! I can't... I can't... so... I shouldn't. I mean... with the safety systems switched off, he could still die. There's a billion ways to die in DCO, and he could perish at any second. Even without his condition, that remains true. So why should I let the knowledge affect me? I didn't worry about his health beforehand, so why should it change now? I was shocked to learn about this, but it shouldn't change anything. I'll have to keep this a secret though. If Sinon finds out, she'll be devastated. There's no telling what she might do, but all possibilities point towards a decision that will only end in our demise. I have to protect everyone from that, even if it means lying to my parents. Right now though, Sora's placing his life in my hands. I'll safeguard it, no matter what. I owe him that much, especially after he risked his life to save mine_. As Yui scours the ground below, she glimpses an azure glow that illuminates a hooded figure, and aims her wand at it.

“Shalfari Rissyndia!” Twin lightning bolts race up from the hooded figure, only to collide with a silver disc and reflect back to the ground, vaporising the attacker. Sora spots the figure's demise.

“Was that a Vector Reversal spell?” Yui shakes her head.

“No, that was Vector Transformation. I didn't just reverse the direction of the lightning, I accelerated it as well. It'll be a while before I can use that spell again though. It's got a five minute cool-down.” Sora spits a fireball at a small group of Orcs before answering.

“Well, it was a good choice at any rate. Keep an eye out for any other magicians or archers. Now that they know there's an aerial player, they'll be looking to shoot me down. I've almost completed my flyover, but I can't see the Commander just yet. They could be on the east side, at the breach point, or else they've yet to enter the town. If they're outside still, that'll make engagement easier. Once I finish this sweep, I'll start casting Detection Spells, and see if there's anyone in need of a pick up. I'll try to keep you posted on everything as it happens, but things may get a little intense so bear with me then.” Yui nods.

“I will. And Sora... I'm sorry, for freaking out about your condition.” Sora is silent for a moment.

“I'm going to tell you the same thing I told my sister when she reacted the same way. 'If I have to live every day in fear of my end, then I'm not really living. Let me live out my days as if nothing is wrong. Let me live out my days in peace and joy. Let me live out my days... alive.' Those words ended up snapping Akatsuki out of her panic, and we really did live happily. If it wasn't for SAO, we would have stayed that way, though it's possible I might not be here right now if she hadn't been taken from me. Even so, I ask that you let me live out the remainder of my life as I see fit, without the shadow of my end looming over me like some oppressive and invisible monster.” Yui reflects upon Sora's words before speaking.

“You know, I think Akatsuki was lucky, to have a brother like you.” Sora chuckles at this.

“Funnily enough, she said exactly the same thing. Whether that's true or not remains to be seen, but I fully intend to make it true.” A terrified scream draws Sora's attention towards a narrow street. A girl cowers in fear as demonic humanoids wreathed in flames close in on either side of her. Sora collapses his wings, diving straight down to the ground. He hears Yui chanting, but the roar of the rushing wind drowns out her words. Sora flips himself so that he falls feet first, aiming to land just in front of the girl. Right before impact he feels himself slow down a little, just enough to prevent him from taking fall damage. The Demons barely have time to flinch before Sora thrusts his palms out either side of him. Blasts of cold air assault the Demons, carrying shards of ice with them in a furious storm that drains Sora of his Mana. The leading Demon on the left is slammed backwards into its companions, while the lead Demon on the right freezes solid. Sora grabs the cowering girl in both arms, noticing her silvery wolf-like ears and tail.

“Hold tight!” Sora beats his wings furiously, only just launching himself above the rooftops around him. He sweeps relentlessly as he angles towards the Church spire. _This wasn't a good decision, but what choice do I have? These people need me. I can't leave them behind, so even if I'm barely able to fly while carrying someone, I'll still do it, no matter how vulnerable I become as a result_. As if to highlight this; four arrows whistle past, followed by three separate lances of pain. Sora grits his teeth with a growl as he rolls aside, sweeping his wings ever harder to try and get out of range of the archers. He is dimly aware of the girl tightening her grip on him, holding on for dear life. Yui spins around, waving her wand with an angry expression.

“Lyndua Ōganatto Nesutali, Yamittika Hulendrio Seskinara!” A cloud of dense black smoke billows from Yui's wand, engulfing a half dozen archers on the roof of The Dragon's Head. The cloud swirls around them, with flashes of lightning briefly illuminating it, preceding agonised screams and sickly choking. Sora only glances at this cloud briefly, looking awed.

“Was that a six-spell multicast? Damn, remind me not to get on your bad side.” Yui suppresses a smile.

“I don't have the luxury of going easy on those archers, not when their levels have been elevated so much. Besides, they shot you. Are you going to be alright?” Sora nods.

“I can handle the pain just fine. The wounds aren't bad, but landing might be a little interesting. I've got two arrows in my left leg, and a third in my right kidney. I'm just glad they missed my wings. I'm having enough trouble flying as it is. I really need to level up my Flying and Strength stats. I rushed recklessly into trying to carry people, and this isn't a short flight either. It's nine hundred metres to the Church, and there's several fires I need to navigate around. Don't worry about healing me just yet, save that until I land. Just make sure we don't get shot down.” Yui's concern remains.

“Are you sure there's nothing else you want me to do? I feel kind of helpless here.” Sora is silent for a moment, then sighs.

“If you insist upon it, but then again I don't know if you have that spell. I could do with having my Mana restored. I emptied it out against those Cambions, so I can't cast any spells at all right now. I don't like that, but I couldn't risk holding back against the Cambions, not with their levels boosted abnormally high.” Yui falters.

“I-I don't have a Mana restoration spell. I'm sorry, I don't think I've levelled high enough for it.” Sora feels movement against his chest, as the girl looks up at him.

“Mana restoration? I-I can do that. J-just don't drop me, okay? I hate flying. I hate falling even more.” Sora smiles faintly.

“I won't let go until we're safely on the ground. We won't be flying much longer either, I hope. If we get attacked though, that might slow us down. If you can refill my Mana, then I can get us to the Church in one piece as quickly as possible. You have my word on that.” The girl nods slowly, then takes a deep breath.

“Dyffindia Serulasis Coruborden Terranacht, Wilsirina Vansista Daedelphys Lorrogom Miriko.” Sora watches as his Mana bar refills, then changes colour as it refills a second time, and changes colour again before refilling a third time. An azure icon appears next to his health bar as well. The girl speaks, anticipating Sora's question.

“That was a third generation Mana Rejuvenation Spell. You've got a triple Mana over-boost, which will give you a 15% increase in defence against magic attacks. On top of that, you have Mana regeneration for two hours, at a rate of fifty MP per second. It's a handy spell to have, but it depletes my own Mana, and has a thirty minute cool-down. My Mana will recharge long before the Spell does. That's the only downside really.” Sora shakes his head.

“It's still a remarkable spell, and well worth learning. When this is over, come find me again. There are items in this game that reduce cool-down times. I think I know where some can be found. Even a 10% cool-down reduction could end up saving countless lives, so I'll do what I can to help you find them. I'm typically an avid solo player, so I know a lot about covering shortfalls. We'll find a way around that cool-down time, so don't worry about it.” The girl nods again.

“I see. Thank you, for helping me. For saving my life as well. Not everyone would. When the monsters showed up, most people only thought about themselves. I got left behind because of that.” Sora sighs wearily.

“I'm not all that surprised, really. We're trapped in this game, and there's been several incidents already, outbreaks of chaos fuelled by fear. Everyone's on edge, paranoia is strong, and so logic is being ignored. As for saving you, well that's why I was flying around to begin with. I was looking for anyone who had been left behind, or else had been isolated by monsters. I'll save everyone I can, even if that means putting myself at risk.” The girl adjusts her position to get a better look at Sora's face, and sees his player icon as well.

“A strange thing for a Red Player to say, but I already know why that is. I saw you on Launch night, when everyone started killing each other. You only fought against Red Players. Even then, I could see that you didn't want to hurt them, but several died anyway. As a result, you became a Red Player yourself. I bet that's caused problems for you.” Sora rolls his eyes, and a fierce ripping sensation in his right leg forces him to cry out in shock and agony. He looks over his shoulder to see the source of the injury: a deep purple squid-like being with blood red Dragon wings. The creature is roughly the same size as a Raven, and its tentacles are wrapped around his calf, pulling back and forth to inflict further ripping, draining Sora's health bar further. He stabs the creature with his tail, earning a piercing shriek as it dies, and a poison icon by his health bar. _Damn it! Infernal Familiars. Then there must be a high-level Demon nearby. Not a Cambion, something far worse than that. Most likely a Revenant or an Unholy Disciple. I can't fight either one. Not without utilizing my full potential as Virtual Demon. Even then, it may be a close battle. It's not necessary for me to do that however. I need to focus on the job at hand_. More shrieking fills the air, and Sora sees a dozen more Infernal Familiars chasing him.

“Hold tight you two!” He barely waits for Yui and the girl to tighten their grip before diving below the level of the rooftops and picking up the pace. He flies erratically, weaving amongst trees and street lamps to try and keep the Familiars from gaining on him. At the first intersection he comes across; Sora turns sharply to the right, underestimating his momentum and having to run across the wall of a Bakery before resuming his flight. Almost immediately he comes to another intersection, this time taking a flawless ninety-degree turn to the left, maintaining his speed well. Sora turns at every intersection he comes across, and weaves chaotically whenever he is unable to turn off. Despite his unpredictable manoeuvres, his path is still aimed generally towards the Church. Despite his speed and agility, the Infernal Familiars refuse to be shaken off. Two close in on him, putting on a burst of speed and aiming to latch onto his wings. Sora lashes at the pair with his tail, impaling one to kill it outright, while the other is slammed into a balcony. Four more press in on Sora, but don't try to grab onto him. Instead they hound and harass him, forcing him to fly straight for a collapsing boarding house. Sora smashes through a window on the top floor, hurtles along the hallway and smashes out through the other end, back into the darkening sky. The move gives him more room to breathe, but the Familiars are still in close pursuit, shrieking hungrily. As Sora flies, he becomes aware that the temperature is beginning to drop unnaturally fast. Some turns seem to make this chill grow stronger at a greater pace, others seem to make the air warmer again. An idea clicks in Sora's mind, and he takes another sharp right turn, heading into rapidly cooling air. With each second that passes, his exhaustion builds as flying becomes more difficult, but he pushes himself onwards nonetheless. Two more left turns, and then he sees the source of the chill, standing within a street that is entirely frozen over: is a humanoid, four metres tall, made entirely out of ice. The being bears facial hair made of snow, with the muscular physique befitting an Ancient Greek hero and cold silver eyes. Clad in dark steel armour and wielding a five-metre Trident, the elemental turns to face Sora before letting out an earth-shaking bellow. _Ice Archon Champion. Level 22. Not especially fast, but ridiculously strong, and with a host of AoE attacks. I was wrong all along. There isn't just one commander. There are two of them. This one is dangerously close to the Church as well. I can't engage an Archon by myself, even without it being modified. That doesn't mean I can't slow it down though. It controls ice, I breathe fire... and there's a brewery just ahead. This is going to be an expensive bit of arson. First though, I need to lose these Familiars. Time for me to be stupid._

“Golyfua Helsenhāga!” Sora holds his wings in a glide as the hurricane wind sweeps in from behind, carrying him forwards with phenomenal speed. He only makes small adjustments to the angle and curvature of his wings in order to steer without dropping out of the heart of the gale. Sora rides the Airwave Spell straight between the Archon's legs, rocketing past well before it takes a swing that kills five Familiars instantly. Once clear of the Archon, Sora floats himself out of the Airwave before dropping further, almost scraping the cobblestone street. He rears his head back, feeling the flames gather in his throat, then snaps his head forwards twice, each time spitting a beach-ball sized fireball at an old, gothic building. The flames engulf the building quickly, burning through the timbers ferociously. Only a few seconds later, and the building is ripped apart by a catastrophic explosion as the liquor ignites. Flaming debris rains down over an area of twenty metres, triggering more infernos that whip up and spread out, creating a burning barrier between the Ice Archon and the Church. No Infernal Familiars are seen to be following Sora, who relaxes his pace a little. With three beats of his wings, Sora rises back over the rooftops of Kraler, aiming directly for the Church of Aethilar, and the sea of people gathered under a swarm of magic lights. He circles over the sprawling congregation twice, before spotting familiar faces gathered on the western edge. Sora descends, landing lightly and folding his wings away.

“It's alright now, you can let go.” Reluctantly, the wolf girl releases her grip on Sora, looking up at him with sparkling blue eyes.

“Thank you again for saving me, for risking your life for me.” Sora shrugs.

“This is what I do. This is what I'm good at. It's something of a creed with me; to leave no-one behind. If I can save someone, you can be sure that I will, or die trying.” The girl smiles softly.

“It's a good rule to live by. My name's Luna. Is there anything I can do to help you? I want to do what I can after everything you did for me.” Sora thinks for a moment.

“Well, I'm going to be out flying again, looking for more players like you who were left behind. Even so, you _can_ help me, albeit indirectly. The cat girl behind you and her companions will look after you. If you could help them defend this place, keeping their health and their Mana up, I'd greatly appreciate it. They'll be able to fight harder knowing they don't have to worry about such things, and I'll be free to focus on rescuing stragglers if I know you're keeping them in top form. Think you can do that?” Luna nods, and equips herself with a slender white staff topped with a sapphire star.

“Leave it to me, Nebula. Playing the Supporter has always been my speciality.” The two walk over to Persia, Sinon and the others, who have been joined by Kuroko and the Gold Fox guild. Sora speaks first.

“We've got a lot here I see, but not everyone. At an estimate, I'd say this is around 1.5 million, excluding NPCs. Seems like most of the players are still coming in from the south and east. That's fine but we have a problem. Two of them in fact. I was wrong. There isn't just one Commander to this assault force, there's two of them. Yui and I, and Luna here, encountered one of those on the way in. Behind that wall of flames back there is an Ice Archon Champion, Level 22. The fire will slow it down, but it's heading this way. Get every spellcaster you can find to lay down proximity-triggered fire-element spells along the southern and western edges of this area. Those will damage it enough for us to mount an effective assault. Even so, it's going to be a rough fight. We'll need tanks and shield users on the frontline with ice resistance buffs placed on them. Archers and Magicians need to take vantage points up high. If we have fighters with impact weapons, those would be best. Swords and spears won't be that effective. The other Commander... I haven't seen yet. We can assume that their level will be about the same, but they're an Abyssal being, I know that much. They sent Infernal Familiars after me, so it's either a Revenant or an Unholy Disciple. Revenants, at least in this game, a powerful Demons trained in Necromancy and Possession. They typically fall into the Swordmage category of fighter, which is a dangerous combination for us. Even worse is their Vampiric nature. They don't bite and drink blood like Vampires though. Instead, they absorb your life force simply by touching you. The longer they remain in contact with you, the more life force you lose. As I said, they're trained in Necromancy, so expect them to summon Skeletal Soldiers and Zombies. They may also try to possess you. I don't know what to recommend for _that_ problem. If you have high Wisdom and Fortitude, you might be able to resist them. Paladins, Clerics and other Holy classes should have spells that can force a Revenant out of its host, most notably the Exorcism spell, but we'll need to be able to buy them the time to perform it. That's assuming it _is_ a Revenant we're facing. It could be an Unholy Disciple, which is similar to Cultists and Aspects in other RPGs. In other words, they worship powerful Demons or Dark Gods, learning devastating magic from their masters. Necromancy is a given, but they may also be able to summon servant Demons such as Cambions, Imps, Chain Devils, Lasher Demons, Infernal Familiars and Cursed Steeds. They're mostly magic users, but that doesn't mean they won't pull out some form of cursed sword. Aside from Abyssal attacks, we can also expect fire, poison and darkness elements. Light-burst and Spirit-burst weapons are a must against Unholy Disciples. I wish I could provide better advice, but until I can confirm the nature of the second Commander, this is the best I can do.” Kuroko looks shocked by this announcement.

“Good Lord! How did this even happen? Why is this town under attack?” Sora looks deeply troubled.

“This was never _supposed_ to happen. Not like this. What you're witnessing is the Kraler Assault Scripted Event. However, the event has been tampered with from outside the game. The players not participating in the event should have been teleported to a duplicate town, which is technically located on a separate server. That relocation has been blocked, so that every player here is left involved in the event. On top of that, the monsters involved have been tampered with as well. Their levels are too high, their skills are too advanced, and their tactics are too strategic. It's a cowardly move, one designed to drive us into panic and despair.” Kuroko's second-in-command; a raven-haired Faerie with silver eyes, black wings and silky silver robes steps forwards, concern emanating from her.

“Can we win this? With their levels and specifications enhanced, and under the watchful eyes of our captors, is there any hope for us?” Sora nods confidently.

“As long as we remain calm and united, then absolutely. With the right organisation and strategy, we can crush the assault force without a single loss of life, but we need everyone calm in order to do that. We need to shake off our fears before the fighting begins, otherwise we risk falling apart. As for our captors; I wouldn't worry too much about them. They've shown that they _can_ kill, if necessary, but they won't kill us all. They can't. If they did, their crusade would end in failure. This attack is just intended to scare us, make us paranoid, make us more likely to turn against one another. More importantly, it's intended to discourage us from rebelling. It's an effective strategy, but there are two reasons why it won't work. Firstly: Calming Spells. We can use these to suppress fear and remain united. As long as these spells exist, assaults like this one will always end in failure. Secondly, and this really is the most crucial reason: QZR Studios. They're monitoring us too. By now, they must know that the game has been tampered with. Even if their own staff are unable to do anything, there are more than enough professional hackers out there who _can_ do something. Last I heard, the Department of Internal Affairs has a register of some fifteen thousand professional hackers in Japan alone. In a crisis like this one, those hackers will be called in to protect us in no time at all. It may even be possible that they'll repair this scripted event before we can finish it. Not only will they protect us from future incidents, but they'll be helping to track down Reality Bytes so that the police can arrest them. All we have to do is focus on staying alive, staying calm, and staying united. As long as we do that, then not only will we survive the current situation, but we'll survive this game as well. I guarantee it.” Kuroko nods, feeling calmer, more in control.

“Alright, we'll focus on the game itself. What about this fight? What do you want us to do?” Sora looks around, observing the positioning of the soldiers, and the influx of players from the east.

“Our defences along the east and south-east are fine, but everywhere else is vulnerable. We need to focus our defences along the south, the west and the south-west as well, covering those three sides. That's where the majority of monsters are located. Persia: I want you to send the Kraler Guard to defend the northern edge of this area. We're not likely to get hit from there, but there's always a chance the enemy will try to flank us. We need tanks and shield users on the frontlines, backed up by lancers, paladins and anyone of the Warrior class. At the rear needs to be Scouts, Clerics, as well as any other support-type Spellcaster. Archers and Wizards need to get up higher, mainly on the rooftops that surround this church. Lastly, I want Sinon, Persia and three other high level Archers positioned on the Church spire, along with the five best Elementalists we have. They'll be acting as our sentry, and they'll be in the best position for targeting the Commanders. For this all to work out in the best possible way, we'll have to divide every fighter into squads of twenty, under a squad leader. It's in our best interests to have all fighters in each squad being of the same class, otherwise coordination becomes complex. Each squad will have a code, and an assigned task. It's going to be tough timing every switch perfectly, but if we can pull it off, we will crush the enemy without loss of life.” Kuroko mulls this over.

“We'll get onto it right away. What about you? What do you plan to do?” Sora unfurls his wings again.

“For now, scout around. I need to see if there are any more players left behind, and bring them here if there are. I also need to confirm the identity of the second Commander. I'll monitor the movements of the assault force and advise adjustments to our defences if necessary. When the fighting starts, I'll assist with coordination. When the Commanders arrive, I'll be on the frontlines. No-one else is high enough level to survive more than a single blow, and I have the highest DPS as well. I'll keep the Commanders focused on me while everyone else flanks in and piles on the damage. That'll be easier with the Archon since I can breathe fire on it, but the Abyssal one will be a challenge. My light and spirit element capabilities are quite narrow. I'll figure something out though. I always do my best thinking in combat.” Kuroko's companion gasps.

“You're planning on using yourself as Aggro Bait? Is that wise?” Sora smiles mischievously.

“ _Wise_? Hell no! There's nothing wise about being a magnet for pain, but this is strategically the best plan. The biggest threat is always the prime target for elimination, but I won't let myself be eliminated by a walking snowman and a sinful parlour magician. As long as everyone sticks to the plan and doesn't try to play the hero, we'll all be fine. Ego is just as big a danger as fear, but it's harder to tackle. Don't worry about me, I know exactly what I'm doing.” Kuroko extracts a white stone engraved with runes, and hands it to Sora.

“Take this Messenger Stone with you. I have another with me. If you find the other Commander, or need to alert us about anything, you can contact me directly. Likewise, if we need you, I'll call you back with that.” Sora accepts the stone with a nod, before taking off, climbing high into the sky before flying northwards. Kuroko turns to his companion.

“Alright, I'll reorganise the defence squads to cover the south and east edges as well. Umbra; I'm entrusting you to take the spire with the four best Elementalists you can find. Lead them well, but most importantly; have faith in this plan. Contrary to how he may come off, Nebula is indeed trustworthy, and more than skilled enough to prevent this plan from falling apart.” Umbra nods slowly.

“As you wish, then so I shall comply. Take care of yourself Commander, always watch your back. We don't have River-dancer here to do that for us.” Kuroko Smiles faintly.

“Never fear. We have done without her before, we can manage again. Fair fortune be with you.” He departs without waiting for any further response. Umbra departs as well, heading for a group of robed players gathered by a fountain. Persia turns to face Sinon's group, and Luna, but Sinon speaks first.

“We'll head to the spire while you attend to the Kraler Guard, and the recruitment of our three additional Archers. Just don't take too long. There's no telling when the enemy will march upon us.” Persia salutes and darts away, leaving the group looking somewhat stunned. Kirito voices his confusion.

“I thought it was just Archers and Elementalists going to the spire. Shouldn't the rest of us join the defence squads?” Sinon shakes her head.

“That's not what Nebula wants you to do. While it's true that the spire is the best vantage point, the simple fact is that whoever controls the high ground, controls the battle. The assault force will seek to take the high ground from us. Nebula wants you to make sure that doesn't happen. You're to hold the stairwell to the spire, and make sure nothing reaches the top.” Luna looks up at Sinon expectantly.

“What about me? Do you know what he wants me to do?” Sinon nods.

“Of course. You're to join the Elementalists and Archers atop the spire, maintaining our health and Mana levels. You'll be receiving a number of potions and elixirs from Nebula shortly, if you haven't already.” Luna opens her inventory, noticing an influx of additional items. She lets out a low whistle.

“That's a lot more than I was expecting. I could maintain a small army for about a day with this supply. To maintain ten players with this... is he expecting a drawn out siege? These potions would last me around a fortnight, depending on your Mana consumption.” Sinon looks doubtful.

“It won't last that long, I'm certain of it. The most likely explanation for your supply is that he's preparing for the worst case scenario. He's not one to tempt fate, so he doesn't want to leave that possibility unaccounted for, even if it's almost guaranteed not to happen. This may turn into a siege, but only briefly. There'll be a moment where we halt the enemy's advance, and where they halt ours. It will undoubtedly be Nebula who breaks that stalemate and allows us to push onwards into battle. From that point, victory will be ours in a matter of minutes, ninety of them at the most. If there's one thing I've always known about Nebula: it's that he has contingencies for everything. He plans ahead in every situation, and sometimes he can plan weeks or even months in advance. Your supplies are just further proof of that.” Luna smiles, feeling at ease. _Yes, that does sound like Nebula. He seems to know what will happen long before it actually does. It's as if he can see the future. He's supplied me with enough potions to weather the worst case scenario, but I'll do everything in my power to ensure we experience the best case one instead_. Cassandra speaks up, her frown threatening to etch itself permanently into her expression.

“How do you know all of this? I never once heard Nebula make mention of protecting the spire teams, or anything like that. What information are you acting upon?” Sinon takes a moment to suppress her irritation before explaining patiently.

“Yui sent me a message detailing Nebula's orders. He can't send a message himself while flying, so he dictated the instructions for Yui to copy down and forward to me. There's a lot here, including many sets of orders for different possible incidents, and other sets of orders that depend on certain key events taking place. It'll be rough at times, depending on how things play out, but we can and will beat this thing.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 3rd 2030 – 1641 JST**

While Director Shiraishi and the QZR employees work frantically at their consoles; Kathy, Midori and the others watch the events that play out on the main screen. Kathy observes the proceedings with particular fascination.

“Interesting.” Midori looks to Kathy curiously.

“What is?” Kathy gestures to the screen, to the players stationed defensively around the perimeter of a large gothic church.

“The arrangement of the players. They've all been divided into groups of twenty, and each group has its own coordinator. From what I can see, each group consists solely of one class of player. There's no mixing of classes, which would make coordination more complicated if it were so. By having only one class, say the Archer class; there's only a need for one objective. That makes things incredibly simple. Most of the players are stationed along the western, southern and eastern edges of their gathering point. Those three fronts are where the monsters number greatest, providing the biggest threat. The northern edge is guarded by NPCs in the event of breakaway enemies attempting a flank manoeuvre. The defensive wall is laid out quite well. Tanks and shield users at the forefront, where their high defence plays a significant role. These are backed up by lancers, mace-wielders, and all manner of soldiers who I'm assuming have better attack stats than defence ones. Then there's the third line of defence, consisting of Archers, Spellcasters, and I'm assuming Healers as well. All the support classes. There are more Archers and Spellcasters lining the rooftops. I'm assuming that the first kind are better suited to defence, or else to aiding their companions in a defensive manner, while the second kind are purely offence type players. Then there's the group in the church spire. That looks like five Archers and five Spellcasters. They're acting as the sentry for this whole operation. They have the best view over the town, which allows them to evaluate the battle as it progresses, and allows them to be more objective in choosing their targets. This is a remarkable defensive strategy, and the layout allows for a variety of different outcomes. Whether the battle turns into a full-scale conflict or a siege, or anything in between; this arrangement is perfectly organised to combat any of those efficiently. Is this the Virtual Demon's doing?” Hiro, whose work station is right besides the group, looks up at Kathy with an intrigued smile.

“You're exactly right. This isn't the first time Virtual Demon has been in a siege, so he knows how to handle the situation. To date, this will be his one hundred and fifth siege, if it turns into such. Even though he prefers to play solo, he _does_ know how to organise an entire army if need be. One of the 743 games that he has dominated was Siege Commander Online; a game specifically designed to test a player's ability to tackle siege battles. He has the experience, the knowledge, and the instinct to turn this situation into yet another victory. Granted, this is a very different battle he's facing. If lives are lost, they will be lost permanently. He's painfully aware of this, so he's pulling out all the stops to try and prevent that. A keen observer would be able to recognise this defensive formation, but from the inside, I don't think they will. Despite using everything he has, his identity as Virtual Demon will remain a secret from the other players, at least for now.” Midori looks at Kathy with an expression of awe.

“You know a lot about combat tactics huh?” Kathy nods.

“That's a fair assessment. I've had quite an enjoyable and varied history as a gamer. It was in a game that I met Andrew. We got along well together and made for a great team. While Andrew is better suited to combat, and fighting on the frontlines; I was best at strategy and support roles. When SAO came out, we only had one NerveGear rig, and one copy of the game. We decided to settle the matter of who played SAO first via an in-game duel. I'm an experienced strategist, but Andrew can be frightfully unpredictable at times. Reckless even. He won, and then he became trapped in SAO. He's never said as much to me, but I know he's glad that he was the one to be trapped, and not me. I doubt that I would have fared as well as he did, and I think that's why I didn't try to talk him out of entering this crisis either. He has the skills necessary to survive in this world, as well as the experience he gained from SAO. Not only that, but he's with the friends he made there as well, people he trusts with his life. The only uncertain variable is Virtual Demon. His strategic thinking is first rate, but it's his psychological state I'm concerned about. He doesn't have any experience in dealing with a game that can kill you, and he even lost his sister to SAO. I don't know how well he'll be able to handle this crisis, and that worries me.” Kyōko speaks before Hiro can respond, addressing the programmer directly.

“You said earlier that Sora would be able to keep his identity hidden. Why _does_ he want to keep his identity a secret? Wouldn't that knowledge be useful to raise morale?” This time, it is Midori who beats Hiro to the answer.

“That's not the problem. The Virtual Demon has a lot of fans. Millions of them even. There's no telling how many of those are in this game. If they know that their idol is with them, they would try to join him in his quest, only to be killed because they're not ready. That's one possibility, but they could also sacrifice themselves for him when such an action wasn't really necessary, or they could try to show off in order to gain his attention, and get themselves killed that way. There are also any number of players who would try to compete with him, including Kazuto. That too would have fatal consequences. On the flip side of this coin, there are also a considerable number of people who despise Virtual Demon, for making them look inferior, for achieving their accomplishments effortlessly, or for taking the spotlight from them. I know of a great many players who used to be famous, until Virtual Demon came along. Others want to become well known, but can't because they're unable to best him. If any of _these_ people find out he's inside the game, they'll try to kill him. Envy is an ugly emotion that can poison a person's mind and make them do terrible things. I'm aware that he has received death threats in the past, as have players known to work with him. Not only would Sora be at risk here, but Kazuto and the others as well. So he keeps quiet about who he is, at least around the players. I wouldn't be surprised if he's holding back on displaying his true skill level as well, for the same reason. Even if that means taking longer to end this crisis, he'll do it to protect the others from harm. It's only when they're in danger that he's liable to show his true strength.” Shiro nods in agreement.

“Dr Samson has confirmed this. Both he and his younger sister have been targets of hostility and aggression for allying themselves with Sora. The resentment aimed at Virtual Demon is almost as strong as the admiration. For his part, Sora tends to ignore such behaviour, on the surface at least, though I'm told there have been incidents where players have gone too far and invoked Sora's anger. Most of the time it is within his capabilities to ignore it, hence why he doesn't normally hide his identity. In this situation however, he has to. Too many lives depend upon him remaining anonymous. There is another reason; the same one which lead to the discussion we had earlier. Sora doesn't want to risk the players becoming dependent upon him. If they place all of their hopes on him, and he dies... the outcome will be catastrophic. So he'll hide who he really is, for as long as he's able to do so. Perhaps once the players have become strong enough to take care of themselves he might relax his guard a little, but only a little. Still, I understand your concerns about Sora's psychological state. I share those concerns myself, as does Dr Samson.” Hiro looks confused.

“What's wrong with his psychological state?” Shiro takes a moment to marshal his thoughts.

“Most people believe that the reason Virtual Demon doesn't become the number one player of a game right from its launch is because he doesn't play until several weeks or even months have passed. That's only a small factor. The main reason is that it takes Sora a while to establish a firm foothold on the reality of whatever world he is in. He needs to study that world for a while, get a grip not only on what is or isn't possible, but find something about that world upon which he can anchor his perception of reality. In each virtual world there is one constant that never changes, and Sora uses that to anchor himself, so that no matter how real the game gets, he can still distinguish it as a game. This is something that typically takes six weeks. Sora hasn't even been in DCO for three days. That isn't enough time for him to anchor his reality. Despite there being Orcs, or Dragons or whatever else, it's not enough to anchor his reality. It looks real, sounds real, smells and tastes and feels real. Not only that, but when people die in DCO, they really die. That might be enough to distort Sora's reality and unbalance his psychological state. It sounds strange, but when you consider the amount of time he spends in the virtual world, then it starts to make sense. He basically lives there. Sora has said on countless occasions that the virtual world is his home, and that he rejects the harsh and uncaring world that is reality. If he doesn't find something to anchor his perception of reality to, he's liable to suffer a complete collapse of his psychological state; a psychotic episode in other words. Dr Samson believes that as long as Sinon is with him, then Sora should pull through without harming himself or other players, but I'm less optimistic about that. Of course, there could be a reason for that which Dr Samson has declined to share with me.” The atmosphere in the control room becomes very sombre at this, but before anyone can respond to the announcement; there is a knock on the control room door. A security guard enters, escorting a middle-aged woman and two younger girls. One of these girls appears to be in her early twenties, with short brunette hair and dark pink eyes, and a worried expression set in her freckled face. The other girl looks much younger, perhaps in her mid teens. Her light brunette hair is tied into short twin-tails by red ribbons, enhancing her youthful appearance, though the anxiety in her brown eyes hint at her being older than she looks. The woman leads the girls over to Director Shiraishi.

“Director; these young ladies have informed me that they received a message earlier today, from one of the DCO players.” Shiraishi turns in shock, but takes a moment to compose himself before speaking to the girls.

“My name is Daichi Shiraishi. I'm the Director of QZR Studios. Is it true what Toshiko says? Did you really receive a message from a player from DCO?” The older of the two girls nods.

“That's right. My name is Rika Shinozaki, and this is Keiko Ayano. We'd been out of town until today, so I didn't get the email until about two hours ago. The message was sent from your email client, but it was written by Shino Asada, player name-” Shiraishi finishes her sentence.

“Sinon. I see, so you were the ones she wanted to contact. I'm assuming she told you what was happening, or at least a summary of it?” Rika nods.

“She said that a group called Reality Bytes has taken control of Destiny's Calling Online, trapping her and nearly three million others inside. She said that she's working with Kirito, and Asuna, and a few others to try and save everyone. She said that she's 'in the safest of hands' and that there's no need to worry, but how can she think that? This isn't like the Death Gun killings that she was a target of. This is more like SAO. I'll never forget what I went through in Aincrad, but Shino's never experienced that before. I can't help but think she's underestimating the situation. I'm worried about her, about all of them really. Keiko is too, that's why we came here. We want to do whatever we can to help out, even if it's not much. Our friends are trapped in that death game, there's no way we can just sit and wait and fear the worst while they risk their lives.” Shiraishi nods slowly.

“I see. I understand how you feel, and I'll do what I can to facilitate your wishes. I'm afraid you haven't come at the best of times however; a new incident has come up.” Rika looks to the screen upon Shiraishi's indication.

“What's happening? It looks like some kind of war zone.” Shiraishi sighs dejectedly.

“The Rescue Team were supposed to be engaging in a Scripted Event as a part of their quest to remove Reality Bytes from the game. It was only supposed to be the Rescue Team participating, while everyone else should have been teleported to the Mirror Server, where they would be safe from the event. The problem is, someone's tampered with the event. The relocation was blocked, meaning that all players are now involved, not just the Rescue Team. On top of that, the monsters have been altered. Their levels have been raised, their stats have been enhanced, their tactics have been improved... basically they're far stronger than they should be.” Rika looks shocked by this.

“Someone tampered with the game? Who? And for what purpose?” Shiraishi shakes his head.

“We're still investigating this. So far we've been unable to locate the source of the tampering. The only thing we're certain of is that this is _not_ Reality Bytes. They wanted to imprison the players, using them as hostages for their goals. They were willing to kill a few in order to be taken seriously, but the death count has gone further than we are willing to believe they would have wanted. As things stand, Reality Bytes is seen as a group of terrorists and monsters comparable to ISIS and the Nazis. More loss of life would only weaken their position even further than it already has been, and they've almost run out of supporters already as it is. Because of this, we've come to the conclusion that there is a third party involved, one that plans to protect the virtual world, albeit by twisting this situation and using it as a means to kill indiscriminately. The deaths would be blamed on Reality Bytes after all, whose crusade would end disastrously. Despite how things sound, I don't want you to worry too much about this. The Rescue Team has organised the players into a full-scale defence force. As long as the players remain united and don't give into fear, they should pull through. They're under the guidance of Virtual Demon after all.” It is Keiko's turn to look surprised.

“Virtual Demon? I thought he said he wouldn't play DCO? He said there's no point in playing a game that's impossible to complete solo.” Shiraishi smiles faintly.

“Whatever his reasons, he _was_ amongst the players during launch, and he's now working alongside the Rescue Team to try and end this nightmare. To be precise, it was Virtual Demon who requested a Rescue Team be sent into the game to help him. He acknowledges, albeit with bitterness, that he's unable to save everyone by himself, but with assistance, his odds are greatly improved. I believe that he might be the one Sinon was referring to, when saying that she was in the safest of hands. In fact, if you look on screen; that's Virtual Demon flying over the town. He's... well it would appear he's bringing players who were left behind to the Church in the centre of town. This makes seven now, I believe.” Keiko and Rika look at the screen, where they see Sora carrying a young boy in his arms as he comes in to land by the Church. Rika notes his player name.

“Nebula? Is that the name he chose to use here? That sounds so... ordinary, for Virtual Demon I mean.” Shiro takes a step forwards, observing Sora closely.

“This is the first time I've seen him use that player name in a VRMMO. From what Dr Samson has told me, he only ever used that name in tabletop RPGs. The name is derived from his surname. 'Seiun' means 'nebula' after all, but for him to use that name here is quite surprising. He stopped going by the name of Nebula after losing Akatsuki.” Rika turns to Shiro curiously.

“Akatsuki?” Shiro nods.

“Sora's older sister. She was one of the players trapped inside SAO, and one of the players to be killed by it. I believe that might be a part of why he's placing himself in danger to rescue the people who were left behind in this current crisis. Akatsuki's death was a devastating loss that nearly destroyed him. Sora doesn't want anyone else to experience the same trauma that he suffered, so he's putting his own life at risk to protect as many people as possible.” The group watches as Sora takes to the skies again, gliding over the burning town. That is when Kathy notices something.

“Are those... players lurking in the shadows?” Hiro looks at the screen curiously.

“In the shadows? There shouldn't be anyone outside the defensive wall, barring the players that Sora is searching for.” Kathy moves closer.

“I'm sure I can see some. Along the south western edge, between the two small buildings with greenish roofs.” Hiro zooms the monitor in closer on the indicated buildings. Sure enough, five players lurk within the shadows, each one bearing a red cursor. Shiro gasps.

“Red players... Oh God! Do you have access to a player list? I need to know about a particular red player. She almost always names herself after an Egyptian Goddess, real name Natalie Peak.” Hiro moves across to another computer and begins searching through the list of players. It doesn't take him long to find a result.

“Natalie Peak; in-game name Nephthys. Status... deceased. Hang on... she was killed by... by Nebula. Tower of Kraler, fourth floor. Oh, that's the Succubus Room. H-Holy shit, and she's not the only one! I count twenty two players killed in that room altogether, all within a ten minute time frame... all killed by Nebula.” Shiro pales.

“Oh God no!” Midori looks at Shiro frightfully.

“What's wrong exactly? Who is this Natalie?” Shiro licks his lips as he tries to find his voice.

“H-Have any of you heard about the mass player killing that almost broke apart the Spriggan-Undine Alliance in ALO?” A few people in the room nod, others shake their heads, but no-one speaks, allowing Shiro to continue.

“When Sora first started in ALO, he met a player called Nefertiti, an Undine who helped him get to grips with the game. Over time, they became good friends, and at one stage they were almost inseparable. Their friendship, their teamwork, it became quite well known. Well enough that the leader of the Undine race opened a dialogue with the Spriggan leader. They began working towards forming an alliance. On the day the signing was to take place, Sora was assigned to lead a Spriggan defence unit, while Nefertiti was stationed with an Undine defence unit. The meeting was attacked by an army formed from five other Faerie races. A total of four hundred players, and yet they were all defeated, by Sora and Nefertiti alone. Sora was appointed ambassador to the Spriggan-Undine Alliance, and that's when the killings started. They were rare at first, but quickly picked up, and it was mostly Undines who were being killed. Not just once each either. Several players were killed up to one hundred times by this attacker. Based upon their skills, it was believed that Sora was the culprit. He put himself through a lot of strain trying to investigate the killings and clear his own name, and he received mountains of hate mail and death threats as well. There were days when he would log in for more than eighteen hours straight, and take breaks for only an hour at the most. In the end, it was revealed that Nefertiti was the player killer. The realisation that a close friend, and someone he had trusted, was a compulsive player killer... it was a serious shock to Sora, and it destabilised his psychological state for a time. He needed to be counselled for several months before he settled down again, but even then it didn't last. Nefertiti had become obsessed with Sora. She would chase him through the virtual world on some kind of crusade to be killed by him endlessly. She invoked his wrath again during the Dragon's Reign Online incident, only this time there was no-one to restrain him. His psychological state was unbalanced again, and it had only been corrected about three weeks ago. 'Nefertiti' is the name that Natalie Peak went by in ALO. Now he's faced her again. He's killed her again, only this time she won't re-spawn. That confrontation won't have gone down well. I have no way of analysing the extent of the damage, but with those other red players as well, his psychological state must be dangerously fragile. If he has another encounter with red players... there's no telling what could happen. In all likelihood, he could go into total withdrawal; ceasing to talk, interact, eat, drink, sleep or do anything at all, even to think. It would be like a waking coma. Getting him out of that would be next to impossible, depending on the extent of the withdrawal.” Keiko looks as confused as she is concerned.

“How did his mental state become so fragile in the first place? I understand that something like this can be damaging, but to _this_ degree?” Shiro glances at Keiko.

“Sora has suffered more traumas in only a few years than most people experience in their entire lives. He lost his entire family before he even reached his teenage years, then found out that his closest friend was a compulsive player killer who had betrayed his trust and then taken to stalking him through countless virtual worlds. Natalie is also the reason that Sora's guild were trapped in DRO for seventeen days. It shouldn't have happened, but she interfered with his plans and ruined them completely. Now he's come to this world, only to find her here as well. A compulsive player killer, in a world were players really die when killed. Every time that Sora's life seems to calm down and return to a degree of normality, a traumatic event strikes to disrupt it all. Most people wouldn't have been able to retain their sanity through all of this, but Sora is determined to find out the truth about Akatsuki's death. It may be that alone which kept his mind focused enough to hold onto his sanity, for the time being at least, but I don't know how much longer it will stay intact. He can't handle much more, but if he has to engage red players, that could be the last straw.” Rika looks to ask more questions, but Kathy interrupts her, still staring at the screens.

“I think we're in for that worst-case scenario. Those red players... they're not the only ones. I can't see all of the others clearly, but I estimate thirty to forty reds. Based on their movements, I'm certain that they're hunting, and there's only one target around for them to hunt. They're going after Sora.” The group watches as Sora lands beside a young girl with rabbit ears, and spot several red players positioning themselves between the pair and the Church. Midori marches over to Hiro's workstation and begins typing away at the computer, earning a look of surprise from Shiraishi.

“What are you going to do?” Midori doesn't look up from the computer as her hands fly over the keyboard.

“Everything I can to protect Sora. Even if we can't depend on him, the odds of a happy ending are still much higher with him alive. I'm no hacker, but maybe I can do _something_ to even the playing field a little. There's got to be something I can do to protect Sora, and I'm going to try everything I can think of. I have to. Regardless of his medical condition, he's still our best hope for freeing the players. I won't let him die without a fight.” 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 3rd 2030 – 1722 JST**

Sora holds out a hand to a young brunette haired girl with droopy rabbit ears.

“It's going to be alright Penny. I'll take you to the Church. Everyone's there, everyone's waiting for you. We'll all look after you there. We don't have far to go, and I'll protect you all the way, I promise. You're in safe hands.” The girl seems fearful, but she doesn't shy away from Sora.

“They'll protect me? They'll look after me? That must be a lie. When the monsters came, everyone left me behind. They didn't even look at me, they just ran away without me. They left me to die.” Sora looks saddened by this.

“I understand what you're saying. Fear makes people do stupid things. I'm sure they didn't mean to leave you behind, but in their panic; they stopped thinking. Most were probably running before they even realised their legs were moving. They didn't leave you behind on purpose. If you come with me, I'll take you to the best players in the game. They're good people, and they're going to help me save everyone from this game. I think you'll like them. Persia's a Cat Girl, and a lively one at that. She likes making jokes and cheering people up. Sinon's an Elf, and my guild's leader. She's as smart as she is beautiful, and kind beyond measure. Then there's Yui here, who is one of the most caring and compassionate people I've ever had the honour of meeting. We'll all protect you, I give you my word.” Penny looks sceptical, but edges closer anyway.

“Can you really protect me? From the monsters, from the red players, from Reality Bytes? How? How can you promise me something like that and expect me to believe it?” Sora smiles warmly, comfortingly.

“I'll let you in on a secret shall I? I'm not just any ordinary gamer, I'm the Virtual Demon.” Penny gasps.

“You are? Really?” Yui nods, lending her support.

“He is. I've seen his skills first hand, and they're even more remarkable than the stories I've heard about him. Just today he thought against three Dragons in the Tower of Kraler. He even killed one of them by himself, even after having his arm ripped off. No other player could do that. No other player could defeat Elric Titanslayer the way Nebula did either, but he still did it. He really is Virtual Demon.” Relief spreads across Penny's face.

“You're really here. The Virtual Demon, the greatest gamer in the world... I can't believe that you're here. It feels like I'm dreaming.” Sora smiles at this. _That reaction never gets old. It's only the younger players who react this way, the ones who haven't let simple admiration transform into fanaticism, or else allowed themselves to be corrupted by envy. This is a youth looking up to a role model. Nothing more, nothing less. Then I need to ensure that I set a good example, and be the best role model I can_. A flashing icon appears within Sora's vision: a red triangle containing an exclamation mark. A warning appears next to the icon, bearing just two words: 'Red Players!' The Arctic chill of fear freezes Sora's spine and heart, before adrenaline surges through his veins. He unfurls his wings as he sprints towards Penny, grabbing her in both arms and launching himself skywards, while arrows whistle past just below his feet.

“Hang on tight, Penny!” The response is immediate, and not a moment too soon: Sora rolls to the right, avoiding a volley of arrows, darts and magic bolts. Another volley strafes him even as he tries to avoid it, as though his moves are being anticipated. The pain earns a snarl from Sora.

“Yui: contact Kuroko and Sinon. Tell them I'm under attack by Red Players.” Yui begins relaying his report as Sora focuses desperately on avoiding as much damage as possible. Even so, every volley causes his health bar to gradually empty. _Damn it! I should have seen this coming! The whole town's focused on repelling an assault, so why_ wouldn't _Red Players strike? It's the perfect opportunity to kill dozens, even hundreds. I was so caught up in dealing with abnormally strong monsters that I didn't spare a thought for Player Killers. Surviving this situation will be a challenge; they seem to know where I'm evading to even before I do. Regardless, I have to protect Penny and bring her safely back to the Church, before dealing with these murderers_. As Sora evades another volley of attacks, he hears a sharp gasp from Penny as two thirds of her health bar vanishes in an instant. His mind doesn't register the whistling of arrows even as they punch through his wings, but the pain doesn't go unnoticed. A hail of arrows perforates Sora's wings, dropping him heavily to the ground. Even before he touches the ground, the ambush springs into effect, but Sora is already drawing a pair of pale green small-swords. Spells, arrows, and all manner of projectiles are cut down by the swords as Sora dances around Penny, protecting her more than himself. As a result, there are some projectiles that slip past his defences to drain his health a little more. He sees the blood red lance too late to defend against it, when he realizes he is being shunted aside. He spins around as he stumbles, to see Penny standing exactly where he had just been.

“PENNY!” She shows almost no response as the lance impales her, piercing through her heart. She falls into Sora's arms, looking up into his shocked face with an expression of acceptance. _He promised to protect me, but I knew that there were things that even Virtual Demon cannot win against. I knew that I would die in this game. Given a choice, there is no way I'd rather die, than by saving Virtual Demon._

“Penny... you can't...” Penny reaches up, placing a hand against Sora's cheek.

“It's not your fault. You did your best, and I'm truly grateful for that. I'm sorry, but this is goodbye.” Penny explodes into shards of data that disintegrate into nothingness, leaving Sora mortified. Figures emerge from the darkness, players wearing black cloaks and bearing red cursors. One of these players moves closer than the rest, who encircle Sora.

“Is it true what you said to the girl? _Are_ you the Virtual Demon?” Yui looks at Sora in alarm as she detects the shift in his emotional state. _Sora's anger levels are increasing exponentially! He's exceeded the levels of every incident since I began monitoring him. Not even the fourth floor of the Tower of Kraler enraged him this much. What should I do? His psychological state is too fragile to handle another confrontation with Red Players. Think Yui! Think!_ Sora rises to his feet, but keeps his head bowed.

“A Demon? Is that all you think of me? I'm not a Demon, I'm the King of Hell. I am Apophis; the Dark God of Chaos. You insult me to think so lowly of me, and you will receive my wrath for your barbaric atrocity. Murdering an innocent child is not the action of a human, but of a monster. Monsters have no rights, no legal protection, and the aim of this game is to kill monsters. I'll kill you. I'll kill all of you. Every last murdering Red Player will fall to me.” The Red Player seems bemused.

“Ah the crazed ramblings of a lunatic. So tell me: what makes you better than us? You're a Red Player too. You're a murderer, just like us.” Sora snorts derisively.

“Are you stupid? I'm nothing like you. I don't slaughter innocent children. I only execute the soulless monsters who would commit such a heinous crime. I _protect_ innocent people, by eradicating those who would hunt them like prey animals. I wouldn't expect a weak-minded coward like you to understand.” The Red Player sighs dejectedly.

“You can beautify it however you want, but the truth will out, sooner or later. It always does. No matter however, it's you we're here to kill. Just so you know, every one of us is a Level 50. You have no hope of defeating us. Kill him!” Several Red Players rush Sora, swords poised to engage at close range. Sora raises his left palm at the closest Red Player.

“Kahkrillos Seskinara.” An explosion of electricity erupts from the Red Player's chest, and lightning arcs out from them to other nearby PKers, electrocuting them as well. Seventeen Red Players are caught by the attack before the others stop themselves from joining that number. The attack shows no signs of stopping, continuously electrocuting its victims. The Red Players scream in agony and spasm violently, though their health bars deplete ever so slowly. After a few seconds, one player vanishes, replaced by a disconnection notice. Another soon follows, and another, and another. The primary target of the attack is the last to vanish, and then only seventeen disconnection notices remain as evidence that they ever existed. The remaining Red Players whisper fearfully amongst each other, and only their leader finds his voice.

“How? How are you alive? What did you do to them? We're stronger than you!” As Sora glares at the man, Yui sees something abnormal. _Sora's eyes... they changed colour again? Why does that keep happening? He has an ability that lets him see through fog or smoke, but that only brightens his eyes. To make them turn red like that... could it be an emotional response? Could his rig be picking up on his emotional state and altering his appearance to reflect that?_ Sora speaks with venomous disdain.

“Stronger than _me_? You retard! Only your _characters_ are strong, but you as a player are weak. All of you are, compared with me. It didn't take much to overload their senses and kill them. It was depressingly easy actually. I don't have to kill your character to kill your real body, I just have to hurt you enough for the shock to kill you. The Thunder-burst Spell is particularly effective for that, but too short lived as it is normally. By combining it with a Prolonging Spell, I could administer a fatal electric shock long enough for it to actually _become_ fatal. Then there's the fact that vocalizing the incantation means the spell hits multiple targets, and voilà; I pass my judgement upon multiple murderers simultaneously. I don't know why you want to kill me and I don't really care. You sealed your fate when you murdered Penny. So, do you still think you can kill me? If you think you can, I'll prove you wrong. If not, I'll hunt you down anyway. You're not humans. You're not even animals. You're just monsters, and I will hunt you down as such.” As some of the Red Players begin to back away, their leader finds his nerve.

“Pay no attention to his bullshit, just kill him! You don't even have to kill his avatar, just poison him and he'll die!” The Red Players stop retreating, believing their leader's words, and charge as one, firing projectiles on the move. Sora cleaves through these attacks with his green swords, his precision unmatched, and then the first Red Player lunges at him. Sora parries the blow and makes a counter-attack; slashing the player across the stomach. Their avatar disintegrates before their health bar even finished depleting. Four more Red Players are brought down in a similar manner before anyone realises that something is seriously wrong. Only then does the leader see the notification. 'Level reset. Character has been reset to Level 1.' Fear freezes the leader on the spot as his comrades are slain all around him. _My level was reset? Why? How? Why now? The only ones who could do that are the Over-watch and... Oh God no! Why would_ they _do something like this? I have to report this to JB and-_ A vice-like grip digs into the leader's shoulder, crushing a quarter of his health away. He looks at the crimson hand that grips him, and follows it back to see Sora's scarlet eyes blazing with fury. All confidence and all hope vanishes in an instant at the sight of Sora's hatred. As Sora draws his arm back, preparing to stab with his right-hand sword; the lead Red Player hears Yui shouting.

“Don't do it!” Whether Sora even heard Yui, or if he simply chose to ignore her; the outcome is the same: Sora thrusts his sword through the leader's heart, emptying his health bar. He spasms, causing Sora to flinch and release his grip on the sword. The leader disintegrates into nothingness, leaving the sword to fall point first into the ground. Sora looks about himself in shock, and then to his hands. Nausea explodes within his stomach as blood showers down from his hands, a never-ending river of scarlet that stains him and the ground at his feet. His other sword falls limply from his hand as he grips his stomach and covers his mouth, fighting against the growing nausea. A fierce stabbing sensation blooms within his skull as well, only adding to the nausea. _I killed him! I killed him! Oh God, I murdered that man! I murdered him. I murdered them all. I'm a murderer, a monster, a soulless Demon and the Harbinger of Death. I slaughtered those people when I could have restrained them but I didn't even care! I just killed. Killed because I could, killed because I wanted to, killed because I had the power to, and I think I'm some kind of hero? What the fuck is wrong with me? I'm a heartless murderer! I killed them all... I killed them... I killed-... there... there were others. Others I killed. Other Red Players. Other people who I murdered for no good reason. In the Tower! The Reds_ did _find us! I remember now. More Red Players, more victims of my barbarism. Oh God! Natalie!_ Sora clamps his hands against his temples as the memories flood back to him, bringing with them further agony; the memories of his slaughter placing too much strain on his mind for it to cope with.

“NOOO~!!” Sora begins screaming in horror and torment as the agony in his skull drives him to his knees. Yui darts in front of Sora, trying to get him to look into her eyes.

“Sora! Look at me! Sora, it's okay. You're not a monster. You wouldn't feel this torment if you were. Come on Sora, just look at me. Look into my eyes. You need to calm down Sora! You need to take a deep breath! Sora!” Yui continues pleading with Sora, trying to get him to listen to her, to focus on her and to do as she instructs, but he only wails in agony, rocking back and forth with his eyes shut tightly. Both are oblivious to the rapidly growing chill, and the unnatural shadows creeping in. It is only when her breath fogs in front of her that Yui realizes the danger. She looks up, into the lifeless silver eyes of the Ice Archon Champion, holding its Trident poised for a killer thrust. _There's... no way I can fight this enemy. It's way beyond my ability. Even so, I have to. I have to protect Sora. I have to try, even if it's impossible_. As the Archon makes its thrust, Yui hears a shout not far off.

“Leave them alone!” A volley of flaming arrows strikes the Archon in the chest, but they have no impact on the attack. A blur of darkness flashes through Yui's field of vision, barely noticeable before the blinding shower of sparks erupts, illuminating a dual-wielding swordsman wearing a black cloak. The Trident is struck upwards, missing Yui and Sora, and the swordsman as well. Then Yui sees the player's health bar, and a name above it: Virtual Demon. Yui stares at this in confusion. _Virtual Demon? But that's impossible! Sora is the Virtual Demon, so this is what? A fan? An impersonator?_ Virtual Demon counters another thrust from the Trident effortlessly, his black, one-handed longswords singing through the air as he makes three rapid counter-attacks. The Archon thrusts twice more before making a brutal sweeping attack, but Virtual Demon blocks them all with ease, retaliating with vicious slashes. Despite the successful hits, he barely deals any damage to the Archon, who sweeps again with phenomenal speed. This time, it requires both of Virtual Demon's swords to stop the blow, and he is incapable of making a counter-attack. As he struggles against the Trident, the Archon's level inexplicably drops to Level 1. All force behind the Trident vanishes instantly, throwing Virtual Demon off-balance momentarily. The second he regains his footing, he slashes the Archon once, severing its head with ease. Yui spots movement in the shadows, and sees a retreating figure identified as 'Unholy Disciple: Level 1'. She aims her wand at the figure's back.

“Urillia Merugosa!” A narrow beam of azure light lances out from the tip of her wand and pierces the Unholy Disciple through the heart, killing it instantly. After a few seconds, a quest completion notice appears. Yui ignores hers, focusing on Sora, who still screams endlessly. Sinon and Persia crouch down on either side of him, trying to comfort him as best they can. Virtual Demon approaches nervously as well, his scarlet eyes filled with anxiety as he looks at Sora.

“What's wrong with him? Is it some kind of spell?” Persia speaks, though she doesn't seem to be directing her words at anyone in particular.

“He hasn't had the time to properly anchor his reality to this world. Even though this is a game, the fact that people really die here is upsetting his grip on reality. He can't determine if this world is real or not, and that's weakening his mental state. He killed the Red Players, didn't he?” Sora answers before Yui can.

“I killed them all, I killed them all, I killed them all, I killed them all, I killed them all, I killed them all, I killed them all, I killed them all. I killed them... I killed them all. Not just Skyward Hunter, not just Natalie, not just the Red Players everyone! I killed everyone! Even the ones who are alive are dead because I killed them all. I killed them all just by being here I'm the Harbinger of Death and I killed everyone! There's no-one alive no-one not really, they may look alive they may feel alive they may think they're alive but they're dead! They're all dead! All dead all because I killed them! I killed-... I killed-... I kill-... I-” By this point, Sora had been hyperventilating. After four wordless gasps, he passes out, his consciousness abandoning him. Yui places a hand against his forehead, looking at him sadly.

“The shock of killing Natalie and the other Reds in the Tower of Kraler was an immense psychological strain, so his mind ended up repressing it. This latest encounter caused those memories to resurface, and it was too much for him to bear. His mental state has completely collapsed. Fantasy... reality... it's all the same to him, but also fluid and ever-changing. Everything is the truth, and simultaneously everything is a lie. The burden that has been placed upon his mind was too much to bear, hence his collapse. Even if he regains consciousness, his mind is broken. I don't know how to undo that level of trauma, or if that's even possible. I was only programmed to _prevent_ a mental breakdown, not to reverse it. We're looking at the very real possibility that his sanity may never return.”


	9. A Dream Sacrificed, A Friend Forgotten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It has been three weeks since Sora collapsed after the Kraler Assault Event. Though he has regained consciousness, he has yet to recover. His eyes are open, and he breathes, but that is all. He doesn't move, talk or do anything. With the situation within Kraler taking a turn for the worse, a decision is made to sacrifice a fairytale dream.
> 
> Meanwhile, Tatsuya Kurokami: the leader of Reality Bytes, receives a long-awaited message from Valkyrie.

**March 22nd 2030 – 1041 JST**

Sinon sits beside Sora's bed, holding onto his right hand. Sora lay on his side, eyes open but dull and unmoving, only blinking very occasionally. This, aside from his chest rising and falling with each breath, is the only movement that comes from Sora. After his collapse during the Kraler Assault event, Sora had been unconscious for five whole days. When he finally awoke, he said nothing. He didn't even open his mouth, nor move a limb, or show any signs of life whatsoever. He only remained in his current position, as though in some kind of waking coma. Sinon speaks to him, more for her own sake than for his.

“It's been confirmed. Kraler is no longer a Safe Zone. Now we know why monsters keep spawning here. It's probably the work of the same people who tampered with the Scripted Event, as another means of controlling us through fear and paranoia. Ten guilds are working alongside the Kraler Guard to deal with these spawns, so for the most part there's no trouble, but every now and then we slip up, and someone gets hurt.” As always, there is no response from Sora, no indication whatsoever that he even heard her. _No response yet. I've come to expect it by now, but I still hope that he'll come back to me. Even though all I can do for him is to talk to him, but it's better than nothing. I wish I could do more, but I don't know what else I could try. The lights are on, but nobody's home. He's completely unresponsive. His mind has lost all grip on sanity and reality, though he's avoided breaking out into psychotic episodes. It seems that, in his last moments of sanity; Sora chose to withdraw his consciousness in its entirety, separating it from the cruel reality of this crisis and everything he's suffered through so far. Without input from his consciousness; Sora's subconscious has entered a state of paralysis, unable to take any actions whatsoever, hence his unresponsive state. Through continually talking to him, I'm hoping that I can say something that will reach Sora's conscious mind and get it to return. So far, I haven't succeeded, but I won't give up. I will never give up on him, I swear._ There is a knock at the door.

“Sinon: we're holding a meeting to discuss the current situation in town and how to proceed with its defence, amongst other topics. You don't have to come if you don't want to, Persia's already volunteered to cover for you if you'd like to pass on it.” Sinon shakes her head.

“No, that won't be necessary, Luna. I'll be down in a couple of minutes.” Footsteps fade away as Luna departs, leaving Sinon alone with Sora once more. She looks at him almost forlornly.

“I'm sorry about this, but I'll have to leave you alone for a bit. It won't be long, I promise. Once this meeting's over and done with, I'll come straight back here. There's nowhere I'd rather be, than at your side.” After a moment's hesitation, Sinon leans forward, touching her forehead against Sora's for a few seconds, before leaving the room. Outside, she sees Virtual Demon exiting his own room. He nods to Sinon.

“Morning.” A spike of anger flares up in Sinon's chest, causing her to glare at the player.

“Piss off!” Virtual Demon shrugs, and wanders off to the left. Sinon heads to the right, putting distance between herself and Virtual Demon, her mood soured. _Arrogant prick, masquerading as Sora. It took all of two seconds to realise he was a fraud. No way Sora would have struggled against the Archon the way this piece of shit did. He sullies Sora's name, using it despite being such an unskilled weakling. As if Sora would go by that name here anyway. Everyone heard his declaration to skip this game, so using his most famous alias would just invite everyone to troll him. Sora doesn't have the patience for that kind of crap. He's the_ real _Virtual Demon, there's no doubt about it. This fraudster, he just wishes he could be that amazing. He's pathetic_. It takes Sinon a few seconds to realise that she's entered the dining area of the inn. Aside from the members of the Rescue Team; Persia, Luna, Kuroko and Umbra are also present. Suguha looks up at Sinon, alerting the others to her arrival.

“Any change?” Sinon shakes her head.

“Not yet. Nothing I've said so far has managed to traverse the gulf caused by his shock and remorse. I won't give up on him though, no matter what.” Kuroko looks troubled, and confused.

“How did this even happen? I've heard of things like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, but I've never seen anything like this before. Persia; you know him best, can _you_ explain what happened to him?” Persia taps the table irritably for a few moments, looking conflicted. Eventually, she sighs.

“I suppose I can shed some light on this, but it's a little complex to explain. Nebula's suffered through more traumatic experiences in his life than most people would do even if they lived beyond a hundred years old. His entire family was taken from him, in one manner or another, leaving him as the only one alive before he even became a teenager. While his mother died shortly before his second birthday, meaning that her passing wasn't particularly traumatic, losing his father and his twin brother was utterly devastating. Nothing hit him harder though, than losing his sister to Sword Art Online. His despair was so great... that he attempted to take his own life. Not once, or twice, but five times in total. Each time, he was prevented... by my older brother. You've met him, Sinon. Vincent; the guy who runs the Buckshot Bar in GGO. His real name is Victor Samson.” Sinon looks startled by this.

“Vince is your brother? So then... he didn't meet Nebula in a game, but in the real world?” Persia nods.

“That's right. My brother's a doctor, and ever since Nebula lost his sister; Vic has been his personal doctor, living at Nebula's home in order to monitor him 24/7. It took years of counselling to get Nebula out of depression following Akatsuki's death, but even then he still had to suffer more pain and anguish. In particular, when he learned that Natalie was the Player Killer who nearly destroyed the Spriggan-Undine Alliance. She was the first person he had come to trust, the first person he had considered a friend since before the days of SAO, and he found out that she was addicted to murder. When you add all of this together, you can see the amount of strain that has been placed upon his mind. Dragon's Reign Online didn't help matters. The damage he sustained there would not have been so bad if it hadn't been for Natalie. She tried to fight him as he made an attempt at clearing the game, thereby ruining that chance. She earned his wrath that day, and it was thirteen days before he got a second chance to free us. Now... now he's come to this world. Every player who dies here, dies in the real world. He's assumed responsibility for their lives, for all our lives. He blames himself for every death so far, and every death yet to come. The people who died by his blade... he can still see their faces, and he will do for the rest of his life. He never wanted to kill anyone, but it's very rare that he'll get what he wants. Some died by accident, from him underestimating his own strength. Others were killed because they'd invoked his anger. Natalie was amongst the Red Players he killed in the Tower of Kraler. He never wanted to kill her, but he had to. A player addicted to murder, in a game where people can really die... there was no other option. Even so, he's killed many players, and each victim has taken its toll on him, until it became too much for him to handle.” Everyone looks forlornly at Persia, the revelations weighing down on them heavily. Sinon looks particularly saddened. _I knew he'd been through a lot, but I underestimated just how much suffering he's been forced to endure. I was right though; he really_ is _the last one left in his family. I sensed as much back at the Cave of Origins, but now I know it for certain_. Suguha looks to Persia, trying to muster up a sense of hope.

“What do we do? What _can_ we do for him, to help him recover?” Persia shakes her head sadly.

“I just don't know. This isn't going to be a simple matter. Merely counselling Nebula won't be enough. It's not just trauma at work here, there is another complication.” Asuna raises an eyebrow.

“Another complication? What kind?” Persia hesitates for a moment.

“Perception. Nebula is unable to differentiate between fiction and reality at the moment. This world... he can't tell whether it's a game or if it's reality.” Kirito flinches at this.

“Seriously? How can that be?” Persia sighs again.

“You have to consider how much time Nebula spends in VR. To say that he's a heavy user would be an understatement. He can handle dives lasting weeks quite easily, as long as his perception of reality is stable. With that firmly in place, he could dive for ten years straight and still have no trouble identifying a game. The thing is, establishing that kind of foothold doesn't come quickly. Most games these days are dynamic and ever changing. Despite being games, they tend to have exceptionally realistic characteristics somewhere along the way. Even so, every game has one aspect that remains constant, no matter what else changes. It is this constant that Nebula uses to anchor his perception of reality. Once he finds this, he will never have trouble differentiating between fiction and reality, no matter how realistic the game gets. Typically, it takes him six weeks to dissect a large-scale game, find its constant and anchor his perception of reality to it. With smaller games, he can get there faster, but the standard is six weeks. This game has only been online for three weeks. It's also a large-scale game, possibly even bigger than ALO. He hasn't had anywhere near enough time to anchor his perception of reality. The fact that people die without re-spawning is all it's taken to disturb his reality. Even though there are Orcs and Dragons and all kinds of other monsters here; since killing people in-game really kills them, he believes that this world is reality. So, even if we counsel him through the trauma, he'll only break down again once his perception of reality is called into question. We'll have to help him anchor his perception of reality if we're to get him out of his own head.” Sinon looks to Persia.

“Do you have any idea how we can do that? Would we be able to take him straight to the constant element so that he can anchor his mind to it?” Persia again shakes her head.

“I don't think it's going to be that simple. If we had done that _before_ the Scripted Event, it would have been a simple task. Right now though, even if we find the constant for him, he's in no condition to anchor himself. We'll need to bring him out of withdrawal first, stabilise his mental state, and _then_ present the constant to him. The hard part is getting through to him, and I don't know how to do that just yet. Until we can figure out how to do that, there just isn't anything more we can do for him.” Silence settles over the group for several long seconds, before Kuroko starts speaking.

“In the mean time, there are other situations facing us that we _can_ do something about-” Persia tunes Kuroko out as her thoughts race across her mind. _I don't care about the monsters being able to spawn in town now. I don't care that seventeen people have been killed by them. I don't care that Red Players have killed a further forty-three people. All I care about, all I've_ ever _cared about; is Sora. The fact that he didn't go into some kind of mindless rampage means that his mind is in there, somewhere, hidden amongst the chaos of anguish, guilt and trauma. He actively made the decision to withdraw his conscious mind from his subconscious. That means that he's still able to receive stimuli on a conscious level, just that his mind refuses to process that information. With the right trigger, we should be able to get through to him, and pull him out of the chaos. I just wish I knew what that trigger was. I'm highly doubtful that something as simple as humour or a good memory would have any impact. I'm sure Sinon's tried all of that and more already, to no avail. I wonder if I'm looking at this from the wrong angle? They say that you can't fix something that isn't broken. Technically, Sora's mind isn't broken, it's just been disconnected from any and all stimuli. If I change that, I should be able to fix him up again, in theory. The best way to break him, or rather: the least harmful way, would be to take something that he has always held to be true and prove it to be false. It will completely unravel his sense of reality, but once I fix that up, he'll be in better shape. Not a full recovery, but well enough to anchor his mind to an unchanging constant. Pulling that off will be difficult, but I think I can do it. It's also quite a long shot, but I don't see any alternatives. If only I could get in touch with Vic. He'd know what to do for sure_. Umbra's voice brings Persia's mind back to the conversation at hand, the authoritative voice cutting through her thoughts like a knife through hot butter.

“I don't understand what Reality Bytes was doing, modifying the Scripted Event like that. A lot of players died, and many more _could_ have done. While they _do_ mean to kill _some_ of us, I'm sure that the death toll so far is well in excess of what they intended. More than ten thousand players have been killed since the game launched, and they will be blamed for every single death. In that case, their crusade will be completely ignored. Reality Bytes has been campaigning against VR for nearly a decade, painting it as a great evil. No-one will take them seriously after they've killed thousands of people, so why would they do it? Have they lost their minds?” Persia looks pensively at Umbra. _She raises a good point. This isn't what Reality Bytes would have wanted. Was it really_ them _though, who altered the Scripted Event? I wonder what Sora thinks?_ Sinon answers the questions, spoken and unspoken.

“The Scripted Event wasn't modified by Reality Bytes. Nor are they responsible for the vast majority of the deaths that have occurred so far. There's a third party involved, one that is using this crisis to their own end. Their goal, or goals rather, are to protect the Virtual World by sabotaging Reality Bytes' crusade, and to indulge in their murder lust. Nebula told Yui this much during the Scripted Event, though he didn't say who this third party was. I know who it is though, and that only makes things worse. You all know that Nebula, Yui and I were attacked by Red Players in the Tower of Kraler. What we haven't yet told you... is who was leading them. That person... that person is an SAO survivor, and a member of the murder guild: Laughing Coffin. His name was Johnny Black.” Kirito, Asuna, Klein and Agil look the most shocked by this.

“You can't be serious!” Yui shakes her head sadly.

“It's the truth. I saw the tattoo on his arm, the emblem of the Laughing Coffin. He freely revealed his identity. In this world, his username is JB Fumetsu. His manner was just as arrogant as his name. Even so, he underestimated Nebula, and was seriously wounded by him. I don't think Nebula killed him though; JB used a Teleport Spell at the last moment, so he's probably still alive. He seems to be leading all of the Red Players in this game. What's more... he's declared a strong intention to kill you, papa.” Kirito gulps nervously, but Kuroko speaks first.

“Who is this Johnny Black, exactly? You know him, don't you?” Agil takes the question.

“Johnny Black was one of the three highest ranking commanders of Laughing Coffin; the infamous murder guild of Sword Art Online. Of those three, he was undoubtedly the most deranged as well. Despite being the most sadistic, and having killed the most players of any Laughing Coffin member, he was also one of the easiest to capture. He lacks the intellect and the cunning of PoH or Red Eyed ZaZa, surviving only through unpredictability and sheer tenacity. Even so, knowing that he's in this game only sends a chill down my spine. His bloodlust is insatiable, and he is entirely devoid of mercy. Even if we were to prioritize his capture above all else, there's no telling how many people he'll kill before we lock him away. I'd rather have to deal with ZaZa than Johnny Black. At least ZaZa possesses some level of sanity. Not much, but more than JB.” Kirito follows up on this.

“We don't have to worry about ZaZa. He was arrested for his part in the Death Gun killings. Johnny Black is a serious problem, but if he's got a vendetta against me, then that may end up being his downfall. It's PoH I'm worried about. I don't know whether he's in the game, or not. I don't know where I'd _rather_ he was either. If he's in the game, he'll be able to use his charismatic nature to convert a lot of players to Reds. Most members of Laughing Coffin were green players until he spoke to them, and convinced them to commit murder. He's a skilled fighter too, but nothing compares to his resourcefulness. During the raid on Laughing Coffin's hideout, PoH was the only one to escape from us, evading capture until the game was cleared. While the thought of facing an army of Red Players is frankly horrifying, the thought of him being _outside_ the game, where we can't touch him, is even more frightful. Out there, he could be coordinating the players in-game, directing their actions from the safety of the real world. Modifying the Scripted Event... that sounds exactly like something PoH would do. Think about it: until Sinon told us about the third party, we suspected Reality Bytes of being the ones to corrupt the event and get people killed. Most of the people monitoring this crisis will do the same. They'll blame Reality Bytes, punish them for it, all while protecting VR. That works out to PoH's advantage, since he'll be able to continue using VR to satisfy his passion for murder. It's a win-win situation for him, and others like him who enjoy killing other players. I think it's highly likely that PoH is outside the game, which means that he'll be watching us, plotting against us, and doing everything in his power to stop us from freeing everyone from this game. He'll focus his attention on BMR, particularly on the SAO survivors since we're old adversaries, and he'll try to kill us off again and again, probably until he succeeds.” 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 22nd 2030 – 1512 JST**

Persia sits alone beside Sora's bed, watching over him attentively. _Seeing him like this, it's almost too much for me to handle. I've always known Sora to be calm and collected first and foremost, but frequently lively and mischievous as well. He always hated sitting still, just as much as he hated being miserable or seeing others feeling that way too. He'd always go well out of his way to make us smile, no matter how foolish he made himself look in the process. Even when things got tense, he remained calm and upbeat. Even when he was angered, he could still maintain control. That's the Sora that I fell in love with, and I have to do whatever it takes to get him back, to bring him out of his despair and isolation. If I unravel his reality and show him how to rebuild it, then he should recover. I can help him find a temporary anchor until we locate a true constant. It's a patch job at best, but if it brings him back from the furthest corner of his mind, I'll take it. I just need to know how_. A voice makes Persia jump, lifting her off the chair entirely.

“How is he doing?” Persia looks around frantically, but there is no-one else in the room. As she turns back to Sora, a screen materialises in the wall above him, showing a white-haired, blue-eyed man in his early thirties, wearing a white jacket. Persia stares at this man for a few seconds, before her mind clicks.

“Shiro... long time no see I guess. You're at QZR Studios? Did my brother send you there?” Shiro nods.

“That's right. I'm acting as Dr Samson's proxy, since he can't leave Sora's side, for obvious reasons. So: how is Sora doing?” Persia shakes her head sadly.

“Not well. Not well at all. He's been placed under far too much strain in such a short amount of time. Both the Tower of Kraler and the Scripted Event proved too much for him to cope with. He's lost all grip on reality, and withdrawn his consciousness into the infinite reaches of his mind. It's like he's in a waking coma.” Shiro sighs dejectedly.

“Your brother and I were afraid this would happen. We tried to prevent it, but we were unable to spot the Red Players planning an ambush until it was too late. We were able to reset their levels so that they couldn't kill him, but that only made it easier for _him_ to kill _them_. I'm not so sure now that it was the right thing to do.” Persia waves dismissively.

“You can't think of it in terms of right and wrong. Sora had already killed several Reds even though they were well beyond his level. He would have killed the others too, regardless of what their level was. Such was the extent of his fury with them. Normally he can control his anger well, but with everything that's happened lately, and without his perception of reality anchored, there was nothing to hold him back. He lost control of his emotions, and then his memories came back. He'd repressed the fight in the Tower, the fight against Natalie, in order to protect his sanity. Killing those Reds in the Scripted Event shook the repressed memories loose again, causing his mind to collapse. He regained consciousness two weeks ago, but since then he hasn't said a word or moved a muscle. His body woke up, but his mind is nowhere to be found.” Another man appears, standing next to Shiro.

“Miss Persia I presume. It's been a while since we've last spoken. My name is Seijirō Kikuoka, but when we spoke in ALO I went by the name Chrysheight.” Persia nods.

“Ah yes, I remember you now. You spoke with Sora and I after the DRO incident. Sora told me that he spoke to you briefly, during the call to get our messages out to our friends and families. Have you made any progress in finding Reality Bytes?” Kikuoka shakes his head.

“Police departments across the country have begun searching potential Dive zones, but so far they haven't found Reality Bytes. There's still more than one thousand possible locations to investigate, so it could take a while. That's assuming they're diving from Japan. Sora seems to think that this is the case, but I can't rule out the possibility that they're diving from elsewhere. If that's the case, the search will take a great deal longer.” Persia looks distant at this.

“I see. Yes, that would be problematic. That being said, Sora's instincts have always been spot on. If he says they're in Japan, that's exactly where they are. It's only a matter if time before he's proven right.” Kikuoka smiles faintly.

“I hope you're right about that. If I might ask, how are _you_ holding up? We know Sora's condition, but what about you?” Persia is taken aback by the question.

“Me? I'm fine, all things considered. Nothing of any importance to report aside from being eager to resolve this situation quickly. Not that there's much I can do to that end. I made a promise to Sora not to undertake any quests without his approval.” Kikuoka raises an eyebrow.

“Oh? Whose idea was that?” Persia averts her gaze.

“Sora's. When I found out he'd formed a party with Sinon and the others, I wanted to tag along with him, but he asked me not to. I get it, really. He's worried about me, worried about losing me. Aside from my brother, I'm the only one who really knows him. We're the only two close to him as well. Since Vic's safe in the real world, Sora only has me left to worry about. He doesn't want to take any risks with my safety, so he wants me to remain in Kraler, with the majority of the players. He's going to have a hard enough time protecting the rest of his party, looking after me too will be stretching his abilities too much. Even with me being a veteran, I'm still nowhere near his level. So, I promised him that I'd stay here. That's not to say I can't help him out in my own way. Aside from me being a veteran gamer, I'm also a member of the Kraler Guard, so I can help protect the players remaining in town, which takes a fair amount of burden from Sora's shoulders. I wanted to help him out by being an Info Broker as well, but virtually everything about Destiny's Calling has changed since the Beta Test, so everything I knew is now irrelevant. Instead, I'm having to reverse my Info Broker role. Sora is providing me with intel, instead of the other way around. I then sell that information to the guilds that are trying to clear the game in their own way, or else just raiding nearby dungeons in order to level up. Any information that these guilds provide me, I then send on to Sora free of charge. It's not as much as I'd like to do for him, but it's something. It's better than nothing.” A woman also appears on the screen, her voice sounding deeply disapproving.

“You're charging people for information? That's horrible!” Persia growls viciously as a surge of anger pulses through her.

“I don't have a choice! It's easy for you to sit there and judge me from the safety of the real world, but I don't have that kind of luxury. I could die at any minute! As I am now, I can survive against a monster as strong as level 15. Monsters in this game can reach as high as level 500, unless the level cap was changed since the Beta. I'm in no position to fight something like that! Not even Sora can! The guilds that I deal with are able to raid dungeons and bring in plenty of money. I promised Sora that I wouldn't do the same, for my own safety. That means I have less money to hand. Working as a member of the Kraler Guard means that I get paid a wage, but even then it's about one percent of the income of the guilds around here. If I'm to survive, I not only need to level up, but I need to buy new weapons and armour as well. That costs money. Money I don't have. To get myself a new bow, I'd have to save up for fifteen weeks. Fifteen fucking weeks! That's more than enough time for Reality Bytes to send in a mid level boss and kill me. I hate the fact that I have to charge money for information, but it's the only option I have at hand. The only monsters I get to fight against around here are ridiculously low level, dropping a few coins and worthless items. I can't survive on that alone, even combined with my job. I _have_ to sell information as well otherwise I _will_ die. If Sora loses me, after losing everyone else in his life, it'll destroy him. You think his condition's bad now, wait until you see what happens when even his friends are taken from him. You _have_ been told about his medical status, haven't you? I'm assuming that's something Shiro would have had to bring up by now. If I die, the shock will kill him, and _then_ what? How do you propose to save everyone in this game without the Virtual Demon?” The woman backs down, looking uncomfortable and uncertain. Shiro speaks soothingly, aiming to calm Persia's anger.

“Take it easy Trish, no-one's saying that you _want_ to do this. I know you wouldn't do it if you had any other choice. It's not your fault. In the end, it's all on Reality Bytes for creating this situation to begin with.” Persia shudders.

“Damn it Shiro, I told you not to call me that. I hate that name.” Shiro looks sheepish.

“Sorry, it slipped my mind. It won't happen again.” Persia glares at him.

“See that it doesn't, otherwise I'll tell Vic about what happened during Obon last year. What was his name again? Ryū wasn't it?” Shiro becomes somewhat panicked.

“Hey hey hey! So not cool bringing that up! It was an honest mistake!” Persia maintains her glare, but says nothing. A voice speaks up from off-camera, sounding a little far away, but their intrigue comes across crystal clear nonetheless.

“Ah, you managed to open communications to one of the players I see. So, who have you made contact with?” Shiro turns to face this off-camera person.

“It's Persia. She's Dr Samson's little sister, and a close friend of Sora. We've just been updating each other on our respective situations.” Director Shiraishi appears in Persia's field of vision, smiling warmly.

“I see. Hello there, Miss Persia. I'm-” Persia cuts him off with an angry snarl.

“I know who you are. You're a stupid son-of-a-bitch! You're lucky I'm not in the real world, because I've got half a mind to beat the ever living crap out of you from now to the end of time!” Shiraishi falters, startled by the hostility.

“Wh-why? Wh-what did I do?” Persia lets out a feral feline hiss as she bores into Shiraishi with her venomous gaze.

“Tower of Kraler; fourth floor. I think you know what dwells there. It was _your_ idea after all, wasn't it? Just what the Hell were you thinking putting a monster like a Succubus into a game that utilizes the SoulMersion rig, allowing all manner of telepathic monsters to gain access to a player's memories? Are you retarded? Do you have any idea of the potential harm that decision can cause? There are nearly three million people in this game. Any one of them can be holding onto memories of abuse, grief, death and even rape... and you give monsters access to these memories like there's nothing wrong with that! That Succubus convinced Sora that she was Akatsuki for fuck's sake! If it wasn't for Sinon getting through to him, he would have been manipulated into murdering his own party!” Shiraishi recoils from the verbal assault.

“I-I-I... I-I didn't... I didn't-” Persia cuts him off again.

“Think? No shit, Sherlock! People like you never do! You were too busy being ambitious to consider the ramifications of your insane ideas! While we're on the subject of stupidity: whose idea was it to have monsters out-levelling their own dungeons? Was that your brainlessness too?” Yet another off-screen voice enters the conversation, trying to defend Shiraishi, to a degree.

“Actually, that one was decided by all of us in a unanimous vote. Adaptive AI is a tried and tested method for creating a realistically challenging game. This _was_ supposed to be the most difficult game of all time after all, but we didn't want to overdo it. Adaptive AI was the obvious answer.” Shiro looks confused.

“Adaptive AI? What's that?” Persia sighs, and explains patiently.

“Adaptive AI adjusts its difficulty to reflect that of the opponent it's facing. The more skilled you are, the harder the AI becomes. I guess that explains why they're constantly dealing with over-levelled monsters then. Sora and Sinon are the two highest level players in their guild. Not to mention that Sora, as the Virtual Demon, is unquestionably the most skilled player around. All right, I can accept that, but you're still not off the hook yet Shiraishi! The Succubus was _your_ idea, an idea that could have seen the entire Rescue Team wiped out! His sister's passing devastated Sora, and it's something he's blamed himself for ever since. He holds himself accountable for her death, and curses himself for not insisting upon being the one to first play SAO. It's very possible that he hates himself more than he hates Akihiko Kayaba, and thanks to your Succubus: he's had to confront his greatest personal demon! That encounter had a catastrophic impact upon his mind. Without it, he very likely wouldn't have killed the Red Players in the Tower, although I can't rule out the possibility of him killing Natalie. I think that was destined to happen, with or without the Succubus. At any rate, this issue needs to be addressed immediately, because there's no point in me trying to bring Sora back only for another Succubus to destabilise his sanity! Are there any more Succubus to face? Are there other telepathic monsters like the Succubus to deal with? Is there any way to defend against their telepathy besides raising our stats? Remember; it's not just Sora who is vulnerable to ghosts of the past, to skeletons in the closet. There's no telling how many lives could be lost to people being controlled by Succubi and similar monsters.” Shiraishi is still incapable of talking, so the off-screen voice answers for him.

“There _is_ something. It's not much, but it can provide some level of protection until we can engineer something better. There's an item called the Ring of Truth. You tell the ring a fact about yourself, and it blocks Telepathic monsters from accessing that answer from your mind. Naturally, it has it's limitations. If you're trying to verify that a person isn't a Succubus in disguise, then they need to know the fact as well. All Rings of Truth are bound to one another, so it doesn't matter if someone else knows your fact; the Rings will still block it from Telepathy. We can gift a Ring to every player, but it'll take a bit of time. Once we've finished sending out the Rings, we'll start work on coding a new item that will block Telepathy entirely. _That_ is going to be more challenging to do. It took us a full year just to code Telepathy _into_ the game, trying to code it _out_ again isn't going to be quick.” Persia nods.

“I see. That's good to hear. Even if it's not _total_ protection, it's better than the complete vulnerability we have currently. It goes without saying that I request Sora receives the first of these Rings. The sooner he's able to fight again, the sooner we can all get out of here.” Shiro looks faintly intrigued.

“Oh? So you have an idea of how to bring him round then?” Persia hesitates.

“Kind of, but it's only a theory. I can't be a hundred percent certain it'll work, but I think it's our best chance. I don't know, what would _you_ recommend, Shiro?” Shiro thinks for a moment.

“Hmm, let's see. Given the nature of the patient, and the nature of his current status, as well as a number of other variables I won't get into right now... I'd say a hard reset would probably be the best option.” Persia nods again.

“I see. I figured as much. I came to the same conclusion, but I wanted a second opinion. I can perform a hard reset, but it won't be easy. There's no telling how Sora will react.” Shiraishi frowns, finding his voice at last.

“What's a hard reset?” Persia is silent for a few seconds before answering.

“You can't fix something that isn't broken. Sora's perception of reality is without an anchor, so it has become unhinged and very fluid, but it isn't actually broken. A hard reset requires that I change that. In other words; I'm going to break Sora's perception of reality by convincing him that something he has always held to be true was in fact not so. From there I can rebuild his perception of reality and improve upon it. The actual act of breaking his perception of reality will be the hardest part however. There are some things that could do the trick, but I need something large enough that it will completely shatter reality for him. Once I break it, I can rebuild his perception using myself as a temporary anchor. It's tricky, and I don't even want to think about how much he'll suffer in the process, but I'll do whatever it takes to bring Sora back, to restore him to the way I've always known him to be.” Shiro hesitates a moment, before asking an entirely unexpected question.

“Do you... love Sora?” Persia falters for a fraction of a second.

“Y-Yeah, of course I do. How can I not? I've only known him for four years, but it feels like I've really known him all my life. He's a wholly remarkable man, entirely unique, and truly extraordinary. He's strong too, and I'm not just talking about in games. His strength originates from the real world, even though he scorns it and refuses to live there. His strength has kept him moving forwards after suffering more in a few years than most people will in their entire lives, and it keeps him from being broken by his torment. He feels pain and sorrow as anyone else does, but he has the strength to keep on going despite the torment, pursuing his convictions with boundless determination. He's even defied his own life expectancy, pushing on for five years beyond it as he pursues the truth about Akatsuki's death. He also treats his friends with exceptional kindness, possibly as a result of his losses in the past, but I feel confident that he would be just as kind even if he'd never lost anyone. He puts his friends before himself at all times. He often puts complete strangers before himself as well. He's selfless beyond measure, and almost never hesitates to sacrifice his time for other people when they need it. He hates seeing people upset, so he'll go out of his way to cheer them up again, by counselling them, halving their burdens, or else using his mischievous sense of humour, regardless of how foolish he makes himself look in the process. It's usually very rare that he ever expresses sorrow or anger, preferring to keep those hidden so as not to upset anyone else. He can be quite shy at times, and socially awkward, but once he finds common ground with another person, he can get quite excitable and talkative. Most of the time, he only becomes withdrawn whenever SAO is brought up, or if people ask about his family. Given all of this, and more; how can I _not_ be in love with Sora? How could anyone who knows him as I do? Sora is unique, irreplaceable and unforgettable. He's at the very centre of my world, and seeing his smile is all the motivation I could ever need to help him. I'll do whatever it takes to bring him back, no matter what.” Persia looks distant as her thoughts take over. _Do I really mean that? Would I really do_ anything _for Sora? Performing a hard reset on him... I can do that, but it means making a huge personal sacrifice. Am I really willing to let_ that _go, in order to bring him back? I'm nothing like Sora. Not as kind, not as caring, not as calm or logical. I'm selfish and impulsive. I don't really care about anyone, save for Sora. His happiness is the only thing that rates higher than my own. If I do this, I surrender my happiness. Can I really let go of_ that _, of all things?_ Shiraishi's concerned voice catches Persia's attention, as he notices her troubled expression.

“Miss Persia? Is there something wrong?” Persia fixes Shiraishi with a look of determination.

“If it's alright with you, I'd like some privacy now. Breaking Sora's reality won't be a pleasant thing to watch anyway. Keep an eye on the others for me, and get started on sending out those Rings of Truth. By morning, Sora should be back to normal.” Shiraishi nods.

“Understood. We're counting on you, and I hope you can count on us too.” The screen vanishes, leaving Persia alone again. _The only person I can count on, is Sora. My whole world revolves around him, and I would dedicate my life to him, if he would allow it. That_ was _the case, but after today... it won't be. In the end, I can't let my selfishness take precedent over Sora's well-being. I have no choice then. I have to say goodbye to the fairytale_. Persia brushes Sora's silver hair out of his emerald right eye. With a tear rolling down her cheek, she leans close to speak softly.

“Sora: we need to talk.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 22nd 2030 – 2139 JST**

The leader of the Over-Watch sits alone at his computer, away from the rest of his group. His expression is sour as he watches the footage of Sora killing his ambushers. _The plan should have been foolproof. As strong as Virtual Demon is, he wouldn't have survived against his attackers. He shouldn't have, if not for an unforeseen incident. QZR's network security personnel aren't skilled enough to accomplish what happened, which means they had outside assistance. Someone with greater knowledge of cyber warfare. This person was able to bypass Reality Bytes' defences, bypass the Over-Watch as well, and carry out a Level Reset on Red Players, as well as the altered monsters. It goes without saying that they were protecting Virtual Demon, though it seems he has not escaped harm entirely_. As the man watches Sora's breakdown, an email notification appears. He clicks on the notification, reading the message with intrigue.

“Vassago: If you are planning to finish off Virtual Demon while he is crippled, I would advise against it. He is too well protected, and not just within the game. I don't know the full details, but someone linked to Kirito is assisting QZR Studios in protecting players against such tactics as the Kraler Assault modification. I've received word that a team of one hundred professional hackers has been stationed at QZR Studios to watch over the game around the clock. Many more have been enlisted to track down Reality Bytes. If you attempt that tactic again, there is an unacceptably high chance that you'll be located and apprehended. Be patient. Wait for security to become lax, and _then_ strike again. If we lose the Over-Watch, we'll have to go into hiding or risk being wiped out. That is an unacceptable risk. In the mean time, leave everything to me. I am close to Virtual Demon, and yet he doesn't realise it. I've identified several key weaknesses, I need only wait for the opportune moment to take him out of the picture. Not just him, but every member of his laughable Rescue Team. It will be some time before you are able to engage in a hunt. In the mean time, it would be best to watch over our brothers and sisters, lending assistance in small and carefully calculated measures. Nurture the predators, prepare them for the hunt, shepherd the prey, and orchestrate the perfect kills. It isn't much, but better than nothing at all. I will be in touch if anything critical arises, but for now I need to maintain a low profile. I can't afford to risk gaining attention. We must both wait patiently for show time.” The message is signed 'Latrodectus'. Vassago grins maliciously. _Interesting. Very interesting. Virtual Demon has weaknesses? Ones that can be exploited? If anyone can, it's_ her _. If she can erase that pest, then his comrades will surely fall too. Things are about to get interesting. I'll be watching her progress closely from now on. It seems that she doesn't quite grasp the situation however. We have to wait for show time? Oh but my dear Latrodectus, you've already set it in motion. The show has already begun, so bring me a performance worthy of a standing ovation._

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 23rd 2030 – 0816 JST**

Sinon plods sleepily through the streets of Kraler, the cool air and brightening sky doing nothing to alleviate her drowsiness. Though her expression is clearly tired, there is also no mistaking that her mood is far from pleasant. _I hope Sora is alright, that he hasn't taken an unexpected turn for the worst. He shouldn't do, but nothing in life is certain. I'd intended to spend all day with him yesterday, but it didn't take long for those plans to be scuppered. Director Shiraishi wanted to talk about the incident on the Fourth Floor of the Tower of Kraler, and about some planned defence against Telepathy. Then Kikuoka took his turn to grill me about Sora's ability to communicate with the outside world. As if I know anything about that myself. As if I even care. It doesn't matter how he did it, because he can't use that method any more. Worst of all was Asuna's mother. I've met that woman before of course, namely at the wedding, but there were other occasions. She always gave off the same impression: a wealth-obsessed control freak who thinks marriage is nothing more than a career choice. Does she even comprehend the definition of love? I never understood why Asuna was so reluctant to talk about her home, until I met her mother that is. Being interrogated by that bitch was utterly unbearable. She bombarded me with questions about Sora, getting me to tell her everything I know about him and explain why I trust him, only to have her try to tell me that I'm being blinded by 'youthful impulses'. As if she even knows what those are, miserable old cow. So, as a result of all that unnecessary crap, I didn't get to spend any time with Sora. I barely even had time to sleep, just a couple hours. I need to try and make it up to him today, somehow. At the very least, I need to spend the day by his side, watching over him and trying everything I can think of to reverse his situation_. As Sinon rounds a corner, she catches sight of Luna walking towards her. Luna waves to Sinon.

“Morning Sinon-sama. Oh my, you look as though you're about to fall asleep. The interrogations ran long then I take it?” Sinon nods sleepily.

“Just a little. They didn't shut up until around five hours ago. Managed to catch a little sleep but not much at all really.” Luna lets out a low whistle.

“Wow, that was pretty inconsiderate of them. Don't they understand how dangerous it is in this world? The last thing they should be doing is depriving us of sleep. Seems like you're not the only one though. I caught a bit of Persia's exchange with them, and boy was she laying into that Shiraishi guy.” Sinon raises an eyebrow.

“They spoke to Persia too? This is the first I've heard about it.” Luna nods.

“Yeah, they contacted her while you were talking to Kuroko. I didn't hear much, just her yelling at Shiraishi about the Succubus. Is there something going on between Sora and Persia? Only it sounds like she really cares about him.” Sinon's expression darkens.

“She _wishes_ there was something going on. She flirts with him openly, and frequently obscenely too, but her feelings aren't reciprocated. I know that much. Sora said it himself: she's not his type.” Luna raises an eyebrow.

“Interesting. He might be the first guy I've met not to go crazy over a Cat Girl. I can't say the same for your friend Klein. He starts drooling every time Persia enters the room. That's real creepy. He's old enough to be her father.” Sinon snorts with laughter, and then she hears it: the bestial growling of predators. She spins around to see a scaly wolf-like monster the size of a cow leaping towards her, claws outstretched and sabre fangs bared. The wolverine is flanked by a pair of hook-beaked cuttlefish with wings, pulsating with a deep mahogany glow. Even as Sinon reaches for her Scimitar, she knows she won't be able to defend herself. The rustling of a cloak barely precedes the crimson blur that rushes past her left side, kicking off from the wall to meet the attackers in mid-air. In a single flawlessly fluid motion, the crimson blur unsheathes a sword, slashes all three monsters and sheaths the sword again, landing lightly while the monsters disintegrate. Sinon studies the crimson figure in awe, as it resolves itself into a tall, silver-haired Hellborne. Her rescuer presses his left hand against his forehead as he sways, fighting to maintain his balance.

“They're not real. They're not. I know that. Killing them means nothing, just a sequence of data transmissions. Fake money, fake experience, fake objects. This world is not real.” Sinon gasps in disbelief as she recognizes the voice.

“Sora? Is that you?” The Hellborne turns to face Sinon, lowering his hand so that she can clearly see his face, see his green right eye and brown left eye, and see the bright white Spirit Scars on his face and neck. Her heart cries out as she realises without a doubt that it really is Sora standing there. She sprints to him, closing the distance in under a second, before grabbing him in a tight embrace, burying her face into his shoulder.

“Sora! Thank God! I've been so worried about you.” Sora hesitates uncertainly, before shrugging nonchalantly.

“I don't care if this is fantasy or reality, I'm not passing up an opportunity to hug my Sinon.” Sora returns the embrace gladly, smiling warmly. Luna approaches in disbelief, while Sinon sobs silently into Sora's shoulder.

“You're really here, aren't you? What happened? I mean... you were...” Sora nods calmly.

“I know. I'm sorry I put you all through that. I've spent nearly half my life inside VR, so it gets very hard for me to differentiate between the virtual world and the real one. Even in games with outlandish monsters, there's still enough realism to confuse me. In this world, there was too much of it for me to cope with in such a short time. If people die here, they die in the real world too. That was enough to tip me over the edge. Of course, it didn't help that I was already in a fragile state to begin with. Confronting the Succubus who masqueraded as my sister unhinged my sense of reality. Facing Natalie right after that destabilised me further. That fight was so shocking my mind sought to repress the memory, but confronting more Red Players brought the memory back again. It was too much for me to cope with, and my consciousness ripped itself away from the rest of my mind, sending me into a deep withdrawal. I've not fully recovered from that, but I've found some of my marbles, so to speak. Enough to bring my mind back to one piece. I'm still having trouble differentiating between fantasy and reality, but I'm getting there. I'm having to rebuild my perception of reality on the fly. I need a stable anchor for my sanity really, but setting up a couple temporary ones will suffice in the meantime. How long was I out of it by the way? I'm not entirely certain if my system clock is accurate.” Luna double checks her own clock.

“About nineteen days, near as makes any difference. It's 0824 Japan Standard Time, March 23rd 2030.” Sora studies his system clock again.

“Oh, so my clock _is_ accurate. That's good to know. Nineteen days... good God. No wonder I was so sluggish getting up. Still, I was limber enough to take out those three mobs. That reminds me, what the Hell were a Dire Worg and two Windrider Wretchlings doing in a Safe Zone? Monsters shouldn't be able to enter this town at all, save for the Scripted Event.” Luna leans against the wall of a bakery.

“Ever since the Scripted Event ended, monsters keep spawning in town. A theory was proposed, and when we checked the maps, that theory was confirmed: Kraler is no longer a Safe Zone. It's not a Source of Evil, but mobs can spawn here. Nothing _that_ dangerous though, in fact that Dire Worg might be the toughest foe to appear. Despite the relative weakness of the monsters, we've still suffered fatalities. As of this morning, twenty-six players have lost their lives to monsters like these. Is it true what Persia said? That you know who was really behind the Scripted Event?” Sora nods.

“That's right. This wasn't the work of Reality Bytes. Too many people have died, so their position has become incredibly weak. It's possible that they might try to protect us from the third party in the future, or else risk the collapse of their crusade. No, there's definitely a third party involved, and I know who: Laughing Coffin, a Red Player guild from Sword Art Online. One of their original members is inside this game; a guy called Johnny Black. I had the displeasure of meeting him in the Tower of Kraler, and he was the sole survivor of my... my rage. He's a real piece of shit, if you'll pardon my French. He thinks that murder is nothing more than a game. Unfortunately, there are more LC members _outside_ the game too, who share his views on murder. They were the ones who tampered with the Scripted Event, and I'd bet a trillion Yen that they were the ones to remove Kraler's Safe Zone status as well. A great way to keep everyone here paranoid is to remove our sense of safety. Tackling this issue is one of the things on my agenda for today.” Luna raises an eyebrow.

“SAO survivors? I've heard a lot of rumours about that game, but since it's forbidden to discuss it I've never been able to find out anything concrete. I figured it'd be Red Players ultimately. No-one else could pull off something so evil but a Red. So, what else is on your agenda, if you don't mind me asking?” Sora shrugs casually.

“I could do with improving my temporary anchors. I'm not going to be much good to people if I have to stop and analyse every situation before taking action. By then it's usually too late. I also wanted to check in with the rest of the Rescue Team and all the guild leaders, see how they're holding up on a long dive like this. I doubt there's many here who've dived for more than twelve hours, so there'll be a lot of people feeling the strain. Aside from that, I just need to get myself back in the swing of things. A few low level mobs is one thing, but a dungeon in my current condition? That's out of the question. I also need to repair my weapons. Most of my swords are running dangerously low on durability, so I need to fix them up pronto. While I'm at it, I'll probably forge a whole load of new swords as well. I received a healthy supply of ores for blacksmithing, so now's as good a time as any to bolster my inventory, just in case I end up breaking swords in a dungeon or whatever.” Luna looks intrigued.

“I see. That's probably a good idea... well all of it is really. This might sound like a strange thing for me to say, but it's a relief to see you strategize and prepare like that. I feel safer knowing you're back on the ball. It's good to have you back, Sora.” Sora nods.

“It's good to be back, but you shouldn't use my name out in the open like that. There could be someone listening in. There are already Red Players who know who I am, but if everyone else does too, that'll complicate matters. It'd be best if you stick to using my game name rather than my real one.” Luna nods.

“I suppose you're right about that too. Even so, when we're in private, I'd prefer to stick to your real name. Either that or...” Sora raises his eyebrow as Luna becomes visibly uncertain.

“Or... what?” Luna looks him dead in the eye as she bolsters up some courage.

“Well, I'd really like... to be able to call you 'Dad', if that's okay.” Sora recoils, completely startled.

“ _D-Dad_?! Wh-what the Hell? I-I'm seventeen for crying out loud! I've never even had a-” He cuts himself off, trying to regain his composure.

“I-I mean, like I said, I'm seventeen. Way too young to be a father to someone your age. No-one would ever believe it.” Luna looks at Sora curiously.

“You've never had a girlfriend? Seriously?” Sora becomes evasive, uncomfortable with the topic of conversation.

“All I do is play games. Usually by myself at that. I don't really socialise with other players or anything, I don't even try to usually. I just go my own way, do what I want, how I want, and pay no attention to the boring stuff. I've never even given relationships a lot of serious thought, unless someone puts me on the spot. I don't like to think about the future if I can help it. Future game events, future battles, future in-game challenges; but that's about my limit for future thinking. I've always lived in the present, and spent a lot of time in the past too actually, but only because my past shapes my present. I'm just not boyfriend material, let alone husband or father material. So then, who exactly would your mother be if I'm supposed to be your father?” Luna smiles mischievously.

“The answer to _that_ question is in your arms.” Sinon turns her head to look at Luna in shock, while maintaining her embrace with Sora.

“Me? _M-Me?!_ M-Me and S-Sora? W-Why?” Luna laughs at Sinon's response.

“Oh please! That's so obvious! You're holding onto So-... onto Nebula as if he'll disappear the second you let go. I can't have one of you without the other, which suits me just fine. I think you'd make for a wonderful mother.” Sinon turns bright red, and leans her head on Sora's chest. Though she faces Luna's general direction, she avoids making eye contact with the girl.

“What about your real parents? Wouldn't they be better for you?” Luna shrugs, and looks away herself, her expression becoming troubled.

“I haven't seen them in four years. Since then, I've been living at this special school dorm with a bunch of others, mostly girls, in similar situations. The school likes to refer to us as being the children of parents who need help raising us, but that's just a lie. The truth is; we were all abandoned. My 'parents', though I refuse to acknowledge them as such, didn't want me, and so dumped me in this dorm and ran away as fast as they could. My room-mate found out that they'd left the country, and live in China now. There's no way they'd be better for me. Not even a dog turd would be as bad as them.” Sinon falls silent, leaving Sora to pick up the thread.

“Okay, so I can see why you'd want to adopt someone as your parents, but why Sinon and I? Surely there are reasons you chose _us_ over everyone else.” Luna looks at Sora calmly.

“It wasn't exactly a hard decision for me. You saved me after all. You put your life on the line, getting attacked by all kinds of monsters, just to protect someone you've never met before. You were the only one. When everyone else ran for their lives and left me for dead, you were the only one looking for people in danger. You're not like anyone else here. You prioritize the safety and well-being of others above your own. Not only that, but you accept the fact that you're a Red Player, even though you didn't choose to be one, knowing full well what consequences that will have. You might be seventeen, but you are far more grown up than most of the other adults in this game. I teased Sinon about choosing her because she's clinging to you desperately, but the truth is: she'd really make a great mother. In the short time I've known her, I've seen how kind and caring she can be. During the whole time you were out of it, she almost never left your side. Yesterday was the only time she did, and that was for a meeting with Kuroko to discuss matters in town. I've never felt such a motherly vibe from anyone before. She's very protective of those closest to her, especially you. While you focus on the past and present, she looks to the future, planning ahead for things other than battles and events. Don't you see? You two are the perfect combination. You fight to protect everyone, placing their lives above your own, while she fights to protect you, placing your life above hers. You look at the past and present, she looks at the future. Between the two of you, every base is covered. I can't even imagine better parents, it just isn't possible.” Sora strokes his right horn as he mulls over Luna's response.

“When you put it like that, you make it impossible for me to argue with you. Well, Sinon uh... _dear_... you think you could handle being adopted as a parent with me?” Sinon buries her head against Sora's chest again, trying to hide her embarrassment. It is a while before she gives her muffled answer.

“If it's with you... okay.” Luna moves forward and joins the hug, her joy preventing her from speaking. The three of them stand in silence for a while, until Sora breaks it.

“You're both real. Definitely real. Only an actual person gives off this kind of warmth, even in the virtual world. I've been hugged by NPCs before, mostly in the 'Damsel in distress' type quests, and they don't feel warm at all. They're just programs, so they can't truly mimic an embrace. You two... you're not programs. You're the real deal. I know this as a fact. I think I've found it: a permanent absolute upon which I can anchor my perception of reality. As long as I have the two of you, knowing that you're both real, I think I'll be able to differentiate between fiction and reality. It'll still take a moment to fully anchor myself, but I have you both, and I know you're both real.” Sinon looks up at Sora, confused and a little worried.

“You want to anchor your perception of reality to us? Is that even possible? Have you ever done that before?” Sora shakes his head.

“No, I haven't. I've never thought to try anchoring my perception of reality to a player before. It's never made any sense for me to try it, since players can log in and out at any time. In here though, that's not possible. Reality Bytes' algorithm blocks us from leaving, and blocks new players from entering. Meaning that we're stuck here for the time being. I don't know how long we'll be here for, but it's long enough for me to do what needs to be done. You are both here. Consistent. A constant presence, even if that was unintentional. Even so, I can anchor my perception of reality to you, knowing that you're here for the duration, and that you're real. That's... not going to be a problem is it?” Sinon shakes her head.

“No, not at all. Even so, I was worried about the logic of this decision. I mean, either one of us could die-” Sora cuts her off.

“No you can't. I won't allow it. I'll protect you both with my life, no matter the threat, and I'll defeat it. I always look after my family. Always. Now that you and I have been adopted as Luna's parents, that means I have a new family to look out for. I refuse to let either of you die. No matter what happens, no matter what Reality Bytes or Laughing Coffin tries, I'll get you both out of this game alive. I swear I will.” Sinon rests her head against Sora's chest again, not saying anything. After a few moments of silence, the three hear a conversation drawing closer. It takes a few seconds, and then they recognise a deep male voice.

“You're definitely right about that, Suguha. His skills aren't as high as I was expecting them to be. Compared to Nebula, they're frightfully lacking. I know Nebula is famous for countering, but even so, that doesn't explain the disparity. I mean, he should be stronger and more skilled than Nebula, and yet he isn't. There's another problem too: why use that name _here_ of all places? He vowed to never play this game. To then come here, with that name, would only invite trolling. Not only that, but with this situation too, it's insanely dangerous. Fans of his would try to come with him, or protect him, or compete with him, and die as a result. Really die. Meanwhile his enemies would try to fight him, and would also die. No-one could ever want that, surely. There must be an explanation for this.” Luna pulls away from the embrace and turns behind her, just as Agil and Suguha come around the corner. Both of them freeze on the spot, staring in shock at Sora, and at Sinon; who maintains the hug. Suguha fights to find her voice.

“N-Nebula? Is that really you? I was beginning to worry you'd never get better. I mean... you were out of it for almost three weeks.” Sora nods slowly, sadly.

“I know. I'm sorry about all of this, but I'm back now. Not up to 100% yet, but it's a good start.” Agil smiles faintly.

“It's good to see you back on your feet. So how are you feeling?” Sora answers a little uncertainly.

“Pretty shaky, but I guess that's to be expected after how long I was out of it for. I'll need a few days to get my mental state stabilised, get my skills back into shape and everything. After that I'll be able to take on dungeons again, but for now... I can only really take on the fodder that's started spawning out here now that the town's no longer a Safe Zone. This was a pretty rough ordeal, but I can recover in time as long as nothing equally traumatic crops up. Even so, this incident shouldn't occur again, I don't think. Not now that I have something to hold onto.” Suguha looks at Sinon, and smiles mischievously.

“I can see that. Not that _I_ have any objections, but you might want to refrain from hugging Nebula in public, Sinon. You'll make a lot of people jealous, and that'll only cause problems. Guys will be jealous of him, girls will be jealous of you. Envy is an ugly emotion, so you should try to avoid triggering it as much as possible.” Sinon contemplates this for a while. With a considerable amount of clearly visible reluctance, she ends the embrace with Sora, though she stays as close to him as she can, drawing comfort from the warmth of his body. Sora looks at Suguha and Agil curiously.

“Oh yeah, so what were you two talking about a moment ago? Someone supposed to be more skilled than me?” Suguha nods.

“That's right. During the Kraler Assault, when we came to protect you from the Red Players, there was another who jumped in to fight that Archon. They were pretty skilled, I guess, but not as skilled as I was expecting, considering the name. Their player name... it's Virtual Demon.” Sora's expression is a mixture of shock and anger.

“Take me to him. I need to see this for myself.” Another male voice speaks up.

“I can save you the trouble. When I saw you moving around on my minimap, I got curious. You've recovered I take it. Feeling okay?” Sora glares venomously at Virtual Demon, and he isn't the only one. He almost snarls his response.

“Pretty pissed off, to be honest. You've got to be kidding me, right? There's no way the _real_ Virtual Demon would choose to be a Vampire Two-Sword Ranger in this world. You're vulnerable to Light attacks for a start, and your magic defence is lacking. Light attacks in this game are always strong magical attacks, always matching up against magic defence. That puts you in serious trouble. Light skills in this game are mostly ranged as well, not just arrows, but spells too. Mostly AoE skills at that. How do you plan on dodging those? With speed? Agility alone won't save you from a fast-cast skill like Divine Pillar or Purifying Circle. Two-Sword Ranger is also a bad choice. Purely short range, no medium range skills, let alone long range ones. You're just asking to die with that moronic race and class choice. On top of that is the sustenance requirement. You need to feed on blood regularly or else you'll grow weak. Virtual Demon has never been that short sighted, I can assure you.” Virtual Demon raises an eyebrow.

“Oh ho? So you think yourself an expert on me, eh? Then you should know that I always turn disadvantages into advantages. It's just the way-” Sora cuts him off harshly.

“Drop the bullshit charade rookie. You're a Level 10. I'm Level 18. My Perception Skill is high enough to overcome your Deception Skill, which means I can see your stats. _All_ of them. You've only trained two Attribute Stats: Deception and Fortitude. Virtual Demon doesn't need Deception, he has nothing to hide. But you do. You don't want people seeing your stats. You don't want people seeing how severely you suck, so you've been pumping most of your Attribute Points into Deception, while dumping a few token points into Fortitude. Your Key Stats are equally laughable. You got Reflex and Agility right, but that's it. You've neglected everything else. The only Key Stat Virtual Demon doesn't bother with is Charisma. He makes enough money from grinding that he renders Charisma useless. Then we come to your Build Stats. Jesus cock-sucking Christ, those are all so laughably poor I pity you. Your Sword Level is less than a quarter of mine. Most of your Build Stats are that inferior to my own at best, but your Smithing Skill? Untrained, seriously? As if Virtual Demon would neglect a skill like that.” Virtual Demon falters, leaving Sora with the opportunity to press on with the criticisms.

“Of course, the skills really don't make any difference. There are two main pieces of evidence I have to hand which prove you are not who you claim to be. First is the name. Virtual Demon would never use that here, not after declaring that he wouldn't play DCO. He'd be even less likely to use that name now that people can really die. His fans would try to follow him, and die. They might try to protect him from a threat he can easily handle, and die. They might try to compete with him to gain his attention and praise, and die. Then there are his enemies, who would try to attack him, and likely die by accident. Virtual Demon would never let himself be the cause of so many potential deaths through something so negligent as using his most famous username. The second piece of evidence, is that I am Counterpoint. I am the second ambassador to the Spriggan-Undine Alliance in ALO, a responsibility approved by Virtual Demon himself. I know him far better than you do. I know you're not him. You're a liar, a fake, a hopeless loser masquerading as someone you could rival legitimately if you could be bothered to actually put some effort in. But you're too lazy to do that. You'd rather steal his fame than earn your own. You're a disgrace.” Virtual Demon looks as though he is fighting to remain calm in the face of all the criticisms and insults.

“Looks like I was wrong about you. I thought you had recovered, but clearly you're still insane.” Sora stands his ground, looking angry himself.

“Fight me.” Virtual Demon turns his back on Sora.

“Fighting you serves no purpose. I wouldn't want to hurt you, not when you can die for real.” Sora takes a step forward.

“Ah, the last excuse of the weak. You really _are_ pathetic.” Virtual Demon turns on his heel again, facing Sora once more.

“What did you just call me?” Sora stares the man down. _Ah, I've found his Kryptonite. Time to put an end to this act, before he gets himself and others killed_. 

“I called you weak. Is that a problem? I can use a different word if you prefer. Powerless? Puny? How about _insignificant_?” Virtual Demon draws both of his swords and charges at Sora, as his rage overpowers logic.

“Screw you!” Sora parries both of Virtual Demon's blades with an Estoc, before striking his opponent with the back of his left hand. Virtual Demon slashes furiously, spinning with vicious speed. Sora performs two lightning quick thrusts, hitting each longsword edge-on to stop the attack. Virtual Demon snarls, and his swords become wreathed in black flames as he activates a Sword Skill. He charges again, thrusting for Sora's heart. The Hellborne remains completely calm, parrying all twelve strikes of the Sword Skill before making a counter-attack: a high speed slash that slices Virtual Demon vertically across the left eye, taking out a tenth of his health. Virtual Demon charges up two separate Sword Skills, striking swiftly in an attempt to exhaust Sora and slip through his defences. The difference in their skills is overwhelming however, and Sora is able to deflect every single attack effortlessly, almost carelessly. Sora makes another high speed slash to take Virtual Demon down to two-thirds health, before kicking the Vampire in the stomach, the blow dropping Virtual Demon's health bar into the yellow.

“Is that the best you can do? Cheap Sword Skills that any fool can counter, and the most basic of combat strategies? You defile the name of Virtual Demon with your frail and feeble efforts.” Virtual Demon shouts a furious war cry as his swords both glow bright white, and explodes forwards as though shot from a Railgun. His slashes and thrusts are just as blindingly fast, and yet Sora has no difficulty in blocking them. It takes him only a few seconds to realise that Virtual Demon is chaining the same Sword Skill again and again. _Ah, I know this skill all too well. Sword Dance Frenzy. A decent beginner's skill since it has a small MP cost and no cool-down time, but it's weak, and I know the combo off by heart. He'll never break through my defences with this. His strength is almost non-existent, so he's incapable of wearing me down. I just have to keep parrying until he runs out of MP. It won't take long. He didn't have much to begin with, and used a few Skills already too._ Sure enough, after Virtual Demon chains the skill for the ninth time; his swords stop glowing and his speed drops exponentially. Sora takes the opportunity to end the fight. His Estoc glows silver, and he thrusts at Virtual Demon's heart. The Vampire only just manages to cross his swords to block the thrust, when a piercing shriek shakes the air. Both of Virtual Demon's swords burst into clouds of dust and fade into nothingness. Sora strikes him again with the back of his left hand, before tripping him up. Virtual Demon hits the ground hard, and his health bar drops into the red. Sora navigates his inventory, taking something out of it. He drops something that looks like a sales tag onto Virtual Demon.

“Change your name, before you get yourself and others killed. I defeated you with only a fraction of a percentage of my true skill. It was impossible for me to hold back any more than I was already doing, and even then I almost killed you. There are dozens of Red Players out in the wild with ten times the skill you possess. They'll kill you without difficulty or hesitation. Change your name with that Character Rename Ticket, and you might just live long enough to escape this world. I can't guarantee that though. You don't have the strength to survive by yourself. Once you've changed your name; join a guild. You desperately need people to watch your back. You can't do it yourself.” Sora then hesitates a moment, before touching a red crystal to Virtual Demon's forehead, restoring his health to full.

“That is the last favour I will do for you. From here on out, I want nothing more to do with you, imposter.” Sora turns on his heel and marches away, seeking to distance himself from the current source of his anger. After a few stunned seconds, Sinon chases after him, then Luna, then Agil and Suguha as well. They follow him at a bit of a distance as he heads to the Church of Aethilar, climbing to the top of the spire. There, he comes to rest against the railings, staring out over the town of Kraler, breathing heavily. Sinon approaches him cautiously.

“Are you alright?” A gentle breeze ruffles Sora's hair, taking some of his anger with it. He doesn't answer until the second gust blows through, soothing more of his anger.

“I will be, in time. Even though I've encountered wannabes and copycats before, this one takes the biscuit. The others... at least they possessed skill and intelligence, but this one was a moron of epic proportions. I don't know how he's managed to survive this long. I can only assume that he doesn't venture out much, particularly during the day. Oh I'm sure he claims he does it to avoid being hassled by fans, but the truth is he just doesn't want people to see how weak he really is. Notice how that was the only thing to piss him off? I criticised his intelligence, his skill, his stats, and he didn't care. The moment I called him weak though, and suddenly he was furious. He really _is_ an idiot. What would copying that name have achieved, without the strength and skill to back it up? If he had somehow managed to convince others that he was the real deal, and then he got himself killed in public, that would be the end of it. There'd be an outbreak of panic, a loss of morale, and a rash of suicides. I had to beat some sense into him. I had to hurt him, and force him to confront his weakness. He'll change his name, and I suspect he'll join a guild too, in time. It'll still take time for him to acknowledge his weakness and do something about it though.” Agil steps forwards to speak as a friend.

“You did the right thing. He may resent you for it, and I can see that you're troubled by your own actions, but this was for the best. There's no telling how many lives he was endangering by pretending to be Virtual Demon. In the end, it's up to him to decide whether he has the conviction and the dedication to become strong on his own.” Sora nods.

“You're right about that. Strength doesn't come just from levelling up. You need the right convictions and motivation. Those will keep you fighting on when everyone around you gives in. The only reason I possess the level of strength I have is because of my sister. I need to know the truth about how she died. When I heard the rumours, about how Akihiko Kayaba will appear before the greatest of gamers, that's when I found my resolve to fight on, and not give in to fear. The day I heard that rumour, I spent a solid nine hours grinding in ALO, more than doubling my One-hand sword level. Since then I've played VRMMOs almost incessantly. I haven't met Akihiko Kayaba yet. I don't know whether that's because the rumours are just fairy tales, or if he realises that I'd probably kill him if I had the chance. It doesn't matter any more. Right now, the only thing that matters is clearing this game, and defeating Reality Bytes. I need to use my strength for that. I can find out what happened to my sister another time.” Suguha steps forwards as well, seeking to confirm her suspicion.

“You're the real deal, aren't you? You're the _real_ Virtual Demon. Not even being Counterpoint could explain the level of skill you displayed in that battle, Countering a slash by thrusting a narrow Estoc at the edge of the attacking blade? The level of precision that requires goes beyond anything I even imagined possible for a human to pull off. It wasn't just _that_ fight either; there's been several others where your skills don't quite match up.” Sora sighs as another gust buffets him.

“Considering how eager I was to protect my identity, I really haven't done a very good job of it. Half the Rescue Team knows who I am. You're right, I'm the real Virtual Demon. Before you ask, Counterpoint is my secondary account.” Agil smiles at this.

“So in actuality, I sold a weapon of great infamy to Virtual Demon? I like how that sounds. You don't have to worry about us telling the others about your identity. We understand why you're doing it, and agree with you entirely. Still, knowing that you're the Virtual Demon is encouraging. I'm hoping to learn a lot from you.” Sora turns, looking slightly incredulous.

“If you're willing to learn, then I'll teach you all that I can. It's so rare that anyone seeks my guidance though, so I'm not used to giving it. Most only ask me to carry them through dungeons and quests. That kind of laziness is one of the reasons I actively avoid players as much as I can.” Suguha looks at Sora curiously.

“So Agil and I know, and I have no doubts that Sinon knows, but who else knows who you are? At least one more of us would need to know for exactly half of the Rescue Team to be aware.” Sora smiles faintly at this.

“Yui knows as well. She's known since the quest to kill Mawlocke. When she accompanied me to the shore of the lake, we were ambushed by Goblins. I didn't even have time to use my All-Seeing Eyes, so I had to fight them off blindly, relying on my other senses as much as my instincts and reflexes. As she said, no-one else could possibly have anticipated and reacted to the ambush as quickly as Virtual Demon.” Suguha looks intrigued by this.

“So is that why she volunteers to go with you and assist you?” Sora thinks for a moment.

“That might be the case _now_ , but I think initially it came from me protecting her from Evan, or the _fake_ Evan I mean. I gained a degree of trust by doing that, so she took to volunteering to escort me at the lake. Once she figured out who I was though, I think that became another contributing factor.” Luna speaks up at last, finding her voice amidst her awe.

“So then... my dad's the Virtual Demon? That's so cool!” Suguha and Agil turn on Luna in shock.

“Wait, _dad_?!” Sora fidgets awkwardly.

“Luna here kind of... adopted me as her father... and Sinon as her mother.” Suguha's expression becomes quite mischievous at this.

“Oh really? Well, you two make a cute couple, so I hope it all works out for you.” Sinon's face turns scarlet at this, while Sora seems uncomfortable and uncertain in equal measure.

“I'm... I'm not really sure how to respond to that. Thanks? I guess?” Suguha looks at Sora curiously, but Luna speaks first.

“Dad's never had a girlfriend before so-... ow!” Luna rubs her head where Sora chopped her.

“That's enough of that, cheeky. Next time you'll be... hm... what _would_ a parent do at this stage? Ah, that might work. Yes, next time you misbehave, I'll have you cleaning the toilets in The Dragon's Head. I took a glimpse in there on launch night, and it wasn't pretty. Something tells me that they haven't been cleaned these past 3 weeks.” Luna looks horrified.

“I'll behave! I swear I'll behave! I've walked past the toilets, and yeah, I'm pretty sure they've never been cleaned. I'm not doing it. No way.” Sora chuckles softly.

“Good girl. That's what I like to hear.” Agil is about to speak up, when the group hears footsteps pounding on the stairs. They all turn just as Yui rockets into view. The moment she sees Sora, she claps her hands over her mouth, tears in her eyes.

“I'm not dreaming... am I? Are you really here? Are you really back with us?” Sora nods.

“I am. I'm sorry for worrying you. I know this must have been particularly hard on you, seeing as you were once SAO's Mental Health Counselling Program. The Tower of Kraler put a huge burden on my mental state, then I failed to protect Penny from those Red Players... and I just lost it. I was overwhelmed by my own anger and... well, the consequence of that was the straw that broke the camel's back. It shook loose the memories I'd repressed from the Tower, and my mental state collapsed. I'm not sure whether it was a conscious decision or not, but at the last moment; my mind withdrew into itself as deeply as possible. I don't even want to think about what would have happened if I hadn't withdrawn like that. At any rate, I was eventually able to come out of that withdrawal. I've been active for about an hour or so now, give or take.” Kirito, Asuna and Klein, who had all arrived at the top of the spire during Sora's explanation; look relieved to see him. Yui looks most relieved out of everyone though.

“Thank goodness! I've been so worried about you. More than that though, I've hated myself. I felt so useless being unable to help you. I only know ways to _prevent_ a mental collapse, not to reverse it. Even then, I wasn't able to prevent it happening to you. Your reaction to Penny's sacrifice was unlike anything I could have imagined. Shock caused me to hesitate, and there was nothing I could do for you. I can't even help out like mommy and daddy want me to. I'm not able to tell what attacks monsters will use here, like I can in ALO. It takes considerable effort just to detect traps. I feel like I'm letting everyone down.” Sora shakes his head.

“You're not. You've been a tremendous help since you've arrived. You saved me within minutes of you coming to this world. I didn't realise that the knife I was stabbed with had been enchanted with Vector Reversal. I would have died from shock if you hadn't told me what to do. You saved me from a javelin launcher in the Goblin tunnels as well. I've been relying on your help a lot since you were brought here. _We all_ have. It doesn't matter that you can't tell what attacks the enemies can use. With my expertise as Counterpoint, we really aren't any worse off for not knowing, to be honest. As for my collapse... that was inevitable really. Natalie was in this world. A player with a higher number of PKs than any other in the history of gaming, and she came into a world were people can die for real. I dread to think how many were killed by her before I... well, maybe I _could_ have restrained her, but would that really have been the end of it? She was determined to be with me, no matter what. I doubt imprisoning her would have been wise in the long run. Her twisted obsession with me, coupled with the isolation of being imprisoned and denied access to me, it would have warped her mind even further. It was inevitable that I would have to kill her, no matter how much I wish there could have been another way. Yui; we need you to be here with us. Not just for your skills and your knowledge. Most important is the bonds that you've forged with us. You hold this guild together, bridging the gap between your friends and outsiders like myself and Cassiopeia. Without you, this guild wouldn't function. We would have fractured back in the Goblin tunnels, at the worst possible time. Lives would have been lost. Permanently. You prevented that. You're more important to us than you give yourself credit for.” Yui smiles and nods, while Sinon speaks sadly.

“You really can't blame yourself for what happened with Natalie. You couldn't have predicted how she would turn out.” Sora shrugs.

“Maybe not, but even then I really _was_ the one to turn her into a monster. When we first met in ALO... she tried so hard to convince me to treat the game like reality, to treat death in the game as a real death... but that was nonsense to me. Several weeks later, I rescued her from a group of Minotaurs. She thought the encounter meant she was strong enough to handle them, but she almost died in the battle. I had to rescue her from them, and I was furious with her for still treating the game as reality. She was steadfast to the belief that her view made her strong, even after being brought to the brink of death. I lost my temper with her, and I wasn't at all gentle about breaking her illusion. I guess I broke it a little too extensively. I'm not sure when exactly, but at some point she stopped seeing players as living people. She saw them as NPCs and mobs. She didn't understand that she and her avatar were intricately linked, that her actions in the game would affect her in the real world. I should have taken the time to explain all of that really, but I had a lot on my plate at the time, so I barely had time to talk to her. Then Virtual Demon started getting blamed for the excessive PKing, and I ended up devoting about as much of my free time as he did to try and clear his name. When I found out the culprit was Natalie, I was horrified. Not with her, but with myself. I realised that I was the one to blame for her twisted mind. I broke it in the first place, and then she twisted it even further. I doubt she ever realised that her victims here were dying in the real world. She knew that this was a game, so even with the safety systems switched off, she would have rejected the possibility of death becoming a reality. She came to despise Humans as well. Her twisted obsession with me ended up making her deeply misanthropic. She didn't see anyone else as worthy of being Human, so she didn't hesitate to kill. She was beyond saving, I just didn't realise it until it was too late.” Kirito looks a little suspicious.

“If she was really so dangerous, why did you teleport us away? Wouldn't it have been better with our help?” Sora shakes his head firmly.

“No, not at all. I wanted to send you all away so that I wouldn't have to protect you. I can't protect an entire party and myself at the same time. I couldn't even protect an innocent child from Red Players, so protecting all of you was out of the question. Natalie's skills have increased considerably as well. I know she has fought against all of you in the past. While she may not have beaten you, Kirito, or Asuna; she could have done that quite easily now, in this world. She'd adapted to the mechanics of the world faster than you have. Not surprising, since she was a heavy diver. That too was my fault. Even if Natalie didn't kill you, someone else would have. I assume by now you've been told who was leading them, yes? I don't know how much of a history you have with this Johnny Black guy, but as things stand: he would kill you. He has the skills, and he's fully adapted to this world. Despite that though, there are some things he hadn't learned. He didn't know I could attack with my tail, and I wounded him with it. Once I broke free and countered the paralysis, I could defeat him. Unfortunately, he teleported away. We'll face him again in the future. It's guaranteed. He's declared an intent to kill you, and he fully intends to make good on that declaration. You desperately need to adapt to this world, and to drastically increase your skills. I can't always be there to protect you. Right now, you're too vulnerable for your own good.” Kirito recoils from the assault upon his pride, allowing Asuna to raise a question.

“So how did you do it? How did you return from your withdrawal? Just as it was beginning to look like you'd never recover, you came back. How?” Sora looks away, his expression pained.

“It wasn't easy, and very far from painless. In the end, Persia had to hurt me, psychologically. My perception of reality was in a state of chaos, but my sanity was intact. More or less. Persia had to utterly destroy my reality for me, and then help me rebuild it. I have no desire to go into detail, but she told me that something which I had always held to be true, was in fact entirely false. That in itself bridged the gulf of my mind, bringing me out of my shell. I tried to argue, but her evidence was undeniable. She brought Armageddon down upon my reality, then pieced the fragments back together to form one coherent picture. Things were still shaky at first, then I ran into Sinon and Luna. While this is something I've never tried before, I have confidence in its success. I'm planning to anchor my perception of reality to the both of them.” Even Suguha seems confused by this.

“You can do that? How?” Sora pats Luna on the head, making her wolf ears twitch.

“They're real. Well, not their _avatars_ , I know _those_ aren't real. But the warmth they emit... even in this game, NPCs don't generate that kind of warmth. It's something only real people can do. You can tell the difference between a Human and an NPC just by touching them, I'm sure you all know that by now. So, knowing that Sinon and Luna are real gives me a good place to start. I've never tried anchoring my perception of reality to players before since they can log in and out, teleport around and so on. _Normally_. Not in this world though, not thanks to Reality Bytes. Luna and Sinon are here, consistently. They'll be here long enough for me to build my anchor, and then I'll always be able to differentiate between reality and the game, no matter how realistic the game gets.” Asuna falls silent, with nothing more to say. When no-one else speaks up either, Sora asks a question of his own.

“So how did you guys find me here? There must have been a reason, right?” Yui nods. 

“That's right. To begin with, I wasn't even aware that you had recovered. I was distracted trying to diffuse an argument in town, when I sensed that you were angry. I located you on the map and came looking for you, and here you were. What made you angry?” Sora flinches in surprise.

“Wait, how did you know I was angry? Have you... been monitoring my mental state?” Yui nods, looking only faintly guilty.

“I have been, since you were stabbed in the forest. I found your emotional state to be quite puzzling at the time, so I began monitoring you. There have been a number of times when your mental state has become quite frightening. None more so than the encounter with the Succubus. At the point where she had convinced you that you were responsible for her death, there was an 88% chance that you would commit suicide.” Sora frowns at this.

“I'm not sure what algorithms you used to determine that figure, but by my own calculations it was 32%. Not that that really matters. Don't start worrying about me taking my own life until the risk exceeds 95% by your current algorithms. Even then, don't worry too much. I have no reason or intention to take my own life, not when so many depend on me fighting on and defeating Reality Bytes. Anyway, getting back to my anger: I had a run-in with that fake Virtual Demon. Without a doubt the most disgraceful copycat I've ever encountered.” Klein seems shocked by this.

“Eh?! He's fake?! How can you be so sure?” Sora looks at Klein condescendingly.

“Please tell me you're joking. You _do_ realise that I'm Counterpoint, right? I know Virtual Demon better than almost the entire Human race. I'm one of the few people who can duel with him and not be instantly shredded. This imposter didn't even recognise my epithet. Then there was his race and class choices; which are the same as Kirito. Virtual Demon would never make that choice. He hates having light element as a weakness, since light skills tend to be overwhelmingly powerful. Two-Sword Ranger is also too specialised for him as well. He'd pick a class with more versatility. Like Sword Mage, Elementalist, War Mage or Druid. The imposter's skills were yet another give away. Too basic, too weak, too plain. Virtual Demon can be quite the show off. Further evidence came by studying his stat allocations. Mostly Deception with a bit in Fortitude. Good Agility and Reflex scores, bad in everything else. As for his Build Stats? Pure shite, to put it bluntly. Last but not least: the name. Virtual Demon would never go by that name in a crisis situation like this. He would most likely have reverted to SeSo, which is derived from his real name. Combine all of this together, and even a cabbage can tell you that the guy was an imposter, and one of the least convincing at that. I got angry with his arrogance, his stupidity, and his refusal to admit the truth in spite of all the evidence. I ended up hurting him, then dropped a Character Rename Ticket on him.” Kirito raises an eyebrow.

“Character Rename Ticket?” Sora nods.

“Every player is given one upon creating their avatar, just in case they decide they don't like their name. You tend to get a lot of people with similar names, people who lack creativity and originality, so they name themselves after some overrated anime character or whatever. Then you end up with about thirty thousand players with almost identical names. So, the Ticket comes in handy. You only get one though. You can sell it if you want, but you'll only get a single gold coin for it.” Kirito presses on, suspecting something amiss.

“And you gave him yours? Couldn't he use his own?” Sora shakes his head.

“Looks like he already did. My Perception Skill was high enough to see his Inventory. Not all of it, but enough to see that he didn't have a Character Rename Ticket. I don't know when he changed his name to Virtual Demon, or why, but by now he'll have changed it to something else, as I ordered him to.” Kirito falls silent, so Yui takes the chance to ask a question.

“So what are you going to do now? You're not planning on continuing the quest are you?” Sora shakes his head.

“Not yet. I'm in no condition to take on a dungeon right now. Handling the mobs that spawn in town is one thing, but challenging the Path of Destiny would be suicide. I'll need a few more days to recover, increase my skills, prepare supplies and provisions, that sort of thing. For now though, I want to speak with people, and see how they're coping with such a long dive. I wanted to talk to all of you as well. I know this is nothing new for some of you, but that was several years ago now. You've adapted to being in the real world, so this must still be a shock to you, right? So, how are you all holding up?” Agil takes the question.

“We were discussing this yesterday as it happens. For now, us SAO survivors seem to be doing alright. It _was_ a bit of a shock to begin with, but our minds and bodies haven't completely forgotten that ordeal, so we're adapting quite well. Cassandra seems to be struggling a little. She's been very irritable since the Kraler Assault Event. Whether that's because of the dive or just the pressure of the situation remains to be seen.” Suguha adds her input.

“It was a real shock to me at first. My longest dive before this was nine hours, and that was for a special event. I seem to be doing okay, but it's still so bizarre going to sleep and waking up inside virtual reality. It can be daunting to get my head around it.” Sinon nods.

“Mm. It's much the same for me as well. Waking up in this world is bizarre at times, but then over the course of the day I forget that this is a virtual world and everything starts to feel more normal. I don't know if that's good or bad though.” Sora thinks for a moment.

“Well, I don't see it being bad. As long as you can still differentiate between reality and the game, that's what matters most really. Over time you'll adapt to being in this world, and it'll become your reality. After all: wherever you are, that's reality. I just hope we're not here so long that people start forgetting about the real world. _That_ is generally when the problems start.” Sora then glances at Luna, who looks troubled. She speaks before he can ask anything.

“I think I'm beginning to see why you had trouble distinguishing between reality and the game. My longest dive to date was about three hours, and I don't do all that much diving as it is. Maybe twelve hours a week at the most. To be trapped in this world... it's daunting. I've been losing sleep trying to figure out what reality even is. Then when I wake up, I just feel so confused. I keep expecting to wake up in the real world, only to find myself here. I get dizzy and disorientated, and that makes me feel sick as well. Trying to cope with this is really starting to get exhausting.” Sora finds himself crouching beside Luna, bringing himself down to her eye-level.

“I had a feeling that this might happen to you. The younger you are, the harder it is to cope with long dives. I'll try to help you through this as much as I can. I've been through all of this as well, so I understand what you're going through. For now, don't worry about trying to figure out the nature of reality. I don't want to say anything that'll confuse you, but when you get older: you'll understand reality a bit better. Cliché I know. I'm sorry about that. Instead, try to focus on differentiating between the game and the players. You've already interacted with NPCs, so that should help. Even so, you should probably avoid NPCs for the time being. At this time, interacting with them could end up confusing you. The NPCs here are the most realistic I've ever encountered, though I can still identify them as NPCs. If you spend too much time with them, you may end up confusing them with real people. That might not be a problem under normal circumstances, but in this crisis it may cause you to sacrifice yourself for them. I don't want to see that happening. Stick close to the players that you can trust, the people you _know_ are real. Once you've adapted to the situation, you'll be able to interact with NPCs again, but for now that would be dangerous.” Luna nods.

“Alright, I'll do that. Thank you.” Sora smiles, and stands again. Asuna looks at him curiously.

“So what about you? This is your longest dive, isn't it?” Sora shakes his head.

“Actually, it isn't. I've undertaken longer dives than this, as an experiment to see how well I can handle it. I've had help from Persia's brother in that regard. He usually watches over me when diving, and when I go for extreme duration dives; he hooks me up to machines to keep me going without me needing to return to the real world. That's why the DRO Incident didn't bother me. Seventeen days is a breeze compared to my longest dives. I've never needed to be relocated to a hospital since everything I need is already available to me. Still, I wasn't expecting to be here so long. I figured I'd dive for a day or two just to get a head start on the game, then Reality Bytes struck. Even so, I've spent longer than this in the virtual world before. Sleeping here is no problem for me. Whenever I got tired of gaming, I used to go to virtual hotels and hostels, and on occasion to this virtual hospice called Serene Garden. I could fall asleep in the virtual world, wake up in the virtual world, and then carry on gaming. It's never been a problem for me really. I only return to the real world when I absolutely have to. I don't like going there if I can help it. The real world is cruel, and there's nothing that I can do there. In the virtual world, I can do whatever I want, as long as I abide by the rules of the games of course. In the virtual world, I'm free. Even when trapped in a game, I'm still free. That's the way it ought to be, so I'm going to fight to keep it that way.” Kirito looks shocked by this.

“You've had dives last longer than this before? Longer than three weeks? That's almost impossible to believe. At the same time though, I guess it explains your skill as a gamer. Spending so long in VR, you'd _have_ to end up highly skilled. But is that really alright? Aren't you worried about what's happening to your real body? When I came out of SAO, I was really frail. My muscles had atrophied severely. It took a little over a year of rehab and recuperation to undo that damage. Are you okay with that?” Sora turns away with a shrug.

“I don't care. Like I said, I only return to reality when I have to. I hate going back there. I really don't care what happens to my body. If I could, I'd upload my consciousness to the Virtual World, and stay here forever.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 23rd 2030 – 1504 JST**

Tatsuya Kurokami paces back and forth across the rooftop of the Tower of the Gods. His gaze passes over the makeshift fortifications, barely registering the ramshackle huts and barriers. His mail icon starts blinking, stopping him in his tracks. He opens the message, and reads with increasing shock, and hope.

“Prometheus, I regret that it has taken so long to contact you. The situation has not played out according to any simulation. By now you are aware that there is a skilled hacker amongst the hostages. I have yet to identify them, but they are first-rate. They re-wrote the blocking algorithm to trap all of us here. I have analysed the modifications, and it will not be easy to undo the changes. It will take time, and I suspect there are traps attached to the modified algorithm. One mistake, and people could die. Unfortunately, I have not been able to start tackling this issue. Several players have grown suspicious of me. I need to lay low until the suspicion passes, and earn the trust of the hostages so that my actions are less impeded. Rest assured, I will free us as soon as possible. I ask for your patience in the matter. There is something you can help with; another problem you are no doubt aware of. There is a third party involved in this crisis, one that intends to kill the trapped players, knowing that their deaths will be blamed on Reality Bytes. To my horror, I have learned that this third party is Laughing Coffin: an infamous murder guild that originated in Sword Art Online. One of their three commanders has come to this world, and they are recruiting many Red Players to kill off others and incite fear, all the while ensuring that Reality Bytes faces the penalty for the murders. I will do what I can to stop them, but I will need your help as well. If you have reconnected your Admin Interface Terminal, you can interfere with Laughing Coffin. Protect the hostages from those murderers. Do that, and you may even find that some develop something akin to Stockholm Syndrome. We need all the supporters we can get at this stage. If we can make the public aware that the deaths are the work of Laughing Coffin instead of us, that may take the pressure off, to a degree. I will update you as soon as I am able, but it is not easy. It took a lot to buy myself the time to send this message. If I draw too much attention to myself, I will be exposed, and possibly eliminated. I have seen Pleiades around. If I can link up with her, I can relay updates through her instead.” The message is signed 'Valkyrie'. Prometheus re-reads the message several times. _He's still alive. I knew he would be. He's working to free us, but he's under suspicion from the hostages. We knew that this was a possibility right from the beginning, so his actions aren't surprising in the least. The news about Laughing Coffin is troubling however. To think that our noble crusade would be hijacked by common murderers. Disgraceful. He's right though, we have to do something about them. We need as many hostages alive as possible. The death toll has already exceeded our estimates by a considerable margin. We must do whatever we can to prevent it from climbing higher, even if that means protecting the hostages_. Tatsuya stands tall, finding a new surge of resolve pulsing through him.

“Brothers and sisters; gather round. I have an announcement to make.” Everyone on the rooftop moves to join Tatsuya, a sense of apprehension and curiosity set over them. He maintains a calm expression as he addresses his colleagues.

“I have just received word... from Valkyrie. He _is_ still alive in this game, and he is still working to free us as quickly as he can manage. He has confirmed that there is a skilled hacker amongst the hostages, one with considerable enough skill to threaten Valkyrie. Our brother in the field assures me that he _can_ and _will_ free us, however he is having to lay low so as to avoid drawing attention to this. We expected such a thing to happen. We are prepared for it. Rest assured, Valkyrie _will_ turn this situation around in our favour, we just need to be patient with him in this.” Many members of Reality Bytes seem relieved by this, though one or two maintain their composure. Tatsuya's expression then becomes quite stern as he continues.

“There is however, some unfortunate news to go along with this. Valkyrie has identified the culprits behind the Kraler Assault Event's tampering, and it is not something we ever prepared for. The Event was altered, by none other than Laughing Coffin. Those murderers intend to use this situation both to satisfy their murder lust, and to ensure the failure of our crusade by having us take the blame for their murders. This we cannot allow. We must redouble our efforts to reconnect the Admin Interface Terminal to the network. We need to be able to thwart Laughing Coffin at every turn. If we can protect the hostages from those Demons, we may even gain a few supporters. It is a possibility we should not rule out. At the very least, we must stop the death count from rising any higher. It has already exceeded our worst case forecasts by an unacceptable margin. We _have_ to stop it from climbing any higher. By any means necessary. That is our new mission: To protect the hostages from Laughing Coffin, and to buy Valkyrie the time he needs to set us free from this world. We cannot afford to fail this mission. To do so would destroy our crusade, and then everything we have spent years working towards will be for nothing.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 23rd 2030 – 2231 JST**

Sinon wanders through the streets of Kraler, lost in thought as she patrols for any monsters spawning in. _Sora's really back with us. It's almost like a miracle. I never gave up hope, but a part of me felt like it was starting to try that. Then he returned. I don't know how, only that Persia did it. I need to thank her for bringing him back to me. I have Sora back... and now he and I have been adopted by Luna as her parents. She's a curious girl to say the least, springing something like that on us out of the blue. I'm not objecting, I'm just surprised. I mean, I'm barely an adult, and Sora's seventeen himself. No-one would ever believe that we're Luna's real parents, but she doesn't care about that. She just wants us to be with her. I want that too. I never want to be separated from Sora again. I can draw strength from him, strength I never knew even existed. I've never felt safe around anyone before. Even when Kirito was protecting me from Death Gun, I never felt safe. With Sora though, I do. Completely safe. Even when Natalie held me hostage, I knew Sora would save me from her. He can protect me from anything, and by being with him; I can find the strength to protect him from anything too. I need him, and he needs me. I'm one of the anchors for his reality after all. It's a little strange though, that Luna thinks I'd make a good mother. I just don't see it myself. I'm sure Sora would make a good father though. I wonder: would he make a good husband too?_ Sinon stops in her tracks, blushing at the thought. She tries to shake the image out of her mind, and then she hears it: faint sobbing coming from her left. Sinon follows the sounds to a small stream that flows behind a flour mill. There, sat at the bank of the stream, is Persia. Tears stream from her eye, and she rocks back and forth constantly. The sight confuses Sinon, and she steps forwards.

“Persia? What's happened? What's wrong?” Persia wipes her tears away, stifling her sobs as she turns to face Sinon.

“I... well I guess there's no point in me trying to deny it. I should be happy, with Sora back and everything... but how can I be? I had to make a difficult choice. In the end, my happiness means nothing compared to the safety of everyone here. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let them die just so that I could be so selfish. So I had to make that sacrifice.” Sinon frowns, and crouches beside Persia.

“I don't understand. What sacrifice?” Persia sighs.

“Sora's mind was in turmoil. He needed to have his reality fixed, but in order to do that I first had to shatter it entirely. I had to break it so extensively that nothing would have seemed real to him at the time. From there I could rebuild his reality, or at least; the foundations of it. In order to shatter his reality that severely, I had to tell him something that was painful for him to hear. I had to tell him that something he believed to be one way was in fact not that way at all. Sora has always believed that I was Human. A real person. In order to break his reality, I had to convince him that I was actually an AI.” Sinon gasps in shock, but Persia keeps on talking.

“It wasn't all that hard, overall. Sure, he tried to argue with me, but his arguments amounted to nothing. The simple fact is, we've never once met in the real world. Not once. We've only met in the virtual world. I convinced him that this wasn't because he scorns reality, but because I don't exist in the real world. It took less persuading than I expected, but now Sora believes that I really am an AI, one programmed specifically to support him and be his friend. It worked exactly as I hoped it would. I broke Sora's reality, and rebuilt the foundations. He's able to differentiate between the game and reality. He's returned... and I've sacrificed my fairytale happy ending with him. You can't have a relationship with an AI after all. It just wouldn't be real.” Sinon looks horrified by what she has heard.

“But that's insane! You're not an AI, you're a real person! Surely if we explain that to him he'll-” A flaming arrow narrowly misses Sinon's throat, silencing her. Persia's expression is beyond furious.

“Are you fucking stupid?! I just sacrificed my one and only dream in order to save Sora from himself, and now you want to go and fuck that up? If you destabilize his reality again, there's no telling what will happen. He could kill you! He could kill all of us! Is that what you want? I don't care what you think, you are not allowed to shit on my sacrifice! I did what needed to be done. What about you? Do you have the courage to do whatever you have to for Sora?” Sinon falters under Persia's hostile gaze.

“I-I don't-” Persia cuts her off.

“I'm not blind, Sinon. I've seen how you behave around Sora, and how that differs from when he's not around. I've been keeping an eye on you almost as long as my brother, so I've seen the change in you lately. You love him, don't you?” Sinon averts her gaze, not wanting to look Persia in the eye. She nods anyway.

“Yes, I do love him. But-” Persia interrupts again.

“No buts. There's no time for stupid games anymore. I'm not going to rush you, but you need to tell Sora how you feel about him, and soon. The longer you delay, the longer his life is in jeopardy. You've seen how he fights, how he behaves, so you know what I'm talking about. He doesn't have anyone that he fights for. He doesn't consider himself to have anyone left to lose. Even my brother and I are just friends to him. Losing us wouldn't hurt anywhere near as much as losing his family, especially Akatsuki. He needs to know your feelings. He needs someone in his life that he cannot afford to lose, someone who means as much to him as his sister. He needs someone to rein in his recklessness. You're the only one who stands a chance. He protects you without hesitation, putting his life on the line to do so. He cares about you, even a brain-dead monkey can see that. At the moment though, you two aren't close enough to each other. Bridge that gap, so that he'll refuse to die on you. Only then will we be able to survive this world. Just don't take too long in telling him, okay? And if you even _think_ about telling Sora the truth about me, I'll kill you myself. I won't hesitate in that, so don't push me to do it. As long as we're in this world, he needs to believe that I'm an AI. When we get out of here, then I can explain the truth to him, when it's safe to do so.” Sinon is silent for a moment, before sighing.

“If that's really what you want, I guess I have to do it. You're not really leaving me with any other choice. You're just as stubborn as he is, if not more so.” Persia shrugs.

“My stubbornness has helped keep me close to him, supporting him through all kinds of shit. It's done a good job of keeping me alive in this game too. What'll really help me though is knowing that Sora is fighting to protect people, and not just for the sake of becoming stronger. By all means, I want him to be strong, but for a reason other than to be strong. He needs to use his strength to protect people, and to keep him from giving up.” Sinon studies Persia closely for a time.

“So... I guess not _everything_ is an act with you after all.” Persia frowns at Sinon.

“Huh? When was I ever acting?” Sinon hesitates, feeling confusion set in.

“Your usual behaviour... Sora says that it was an act that began following the DRO Incident. He thought it was because the ordeal had damaged you. I argued that it was a means for you to get closer to him and gain more attention from him.” Persia stares at Sinon for five silent seconds.

“You're both idiots. My 'usual behaviour' as you term it is the real me. Always has been. The way I behaved before Dragon's Reign, _that_ was the act. Sora always seemed so reserved, so I thought that being myself would just make him feel uncomfortable and would withdraw as a result. As I studied him during the Siege Event though, I realised that what he needed was someone lively to draw him out of his shell and show him that the world can be a lot of fun, whether virtual or not. I dropped my acting after the DRO Incident, reverting back to the real me. I've always been lively and energetic. 'A pain in the arse' as my brother would say. The only thing that strained me during those seventeen days was having to maintain my act 24/7. Pretending to be shy and reserved for a few hours I can handle. Doing it for two and a half weeks, that was a real headache.” Sinon looks surprised by this.

“So then, the reason your brother doesn't blame Sora for the change in your behaviour-” Persia answers before Sinon finishes asking.

“Is because there _was_ no change. Not really. I just stopped acting. My brother just couldn't figure out how to tell Sora that he was being a moron is all. Sora was so convinced that he'd fucked things up I doubt he'd listen to the truth anyway. That's something I both respect and hate about Sora: he assumes responsibility for everything, even things he's not responsible for, and he refuses to let anyone take that responsibility away from him. It stems from Akatsuki, as pretty much everything about Sora does. After all, if he had persuaded his sister to let him test SAO first, she'd still be alive. There's no two ways about that, it's a definite fact. Because he let her play SAO instead, he blames himself for Akatsuki's death. It doesn't help to know that he would have definitely survived that world as well. He would have had to, in order to return to the only family he had left. Instead, she died. He was left with no-one, and nothing. He had no will to live until he discovered Alfheim. I'm not sure what it was exactly, but apparently something he had seen in that world caused him to stop hating virtual reality, to stop mourning Akatsuki, and to start living again. Then he heard the rumour about Akihiko Kayaba, and now he has a remarkably powerful motivation to live. Even so, that motivation isn't going to be enough in this world. He needs a stronger one. He needs a reason to live so powerful that he will actively defy death at every turn. Which is where you're going to come in, but not if you keep talking to me like this. I'm fine, Sinon. I just needed to get my emotions out of me. Bottling them up is detrimental to your health you know. Besides, I've got Watch Duty in an hour. I've got to check in before then, get briefed on shit I already know, that sort of thing. Go. Find Sora and be with him. He needs you more than I do.” Sinon stands with a nod. She starts to walk away, then stops. She speaks without turning back.

“You know, he's lucky to have a friend like you. Even if he thinks you're an AI for now, he still needs you. So don't die. If you die, I'll drag you back to life and slap some sense into you.” Persia laughs at this.

“Well you can certainly try, but I'm one of the few players who can take on Virtual Demon's full strength and not get instantly decimated. Get moving. I can look after myself.” She dashes away into the night, leaving before Sinon can even try to make any sort of response. Sinon shakes her head, then resumes her own patrol. _She's strong, that's for sure, but she's also in a lot of pain. She can't fool me that easily. She's absolutely devastated about giving up her dreams of being with Sora. Was it really necessary to do that though? To convince him that she's an AI when she isn't? I just don't know, but at the same time, I can't think of anything else that could have brought Sora back. Now she's practically ordering me to tell him how I feel about him. As if it's that easy for me to do. I'm just not that bold. It took me long enough to realise that I'd had feelings for him. The feelings had surfaced a little over two years ago, but it was only during the last winter that I finally realised I'd fallen for him. Even then it still took a few months for me to accept those feelings. The day before this game launched. That's when I accepted my feelings for Sora. I'd planned to convince him to join this game, somehow, and then tell him how I felt about him. As it turned out, he was already here, and then Reality Bytes struck. Since then, there really hasn't been a right time for me to confess my feelings. Confess my feelings? I make it sound like a sin, like something to be ashamed of. Well, I_ do _feel awkward about it now, after speaking with Persia. That whole conversation has really thrown me for a loop. I just don't know what to think anymore._ As Sinon shakes her head to try and clear her thoughts, she realizes that she has wandered into Victory Plaza. There, standing by the plinth; is Sora. The Hellborne speaks with another, an older male with black hair and curved red horns. The Van Dyke-style facial hair completes the man's 'Classical Devil' look. Neither seems to be aware of Sinon's presence, so she listens in on the conversation, noticing that the tone is quite sombre.

“As strange as it might sound, for someone trapped in a game that can kill; I find myself more worried about my brother than about myself. I know well how to avoid risks. My strategic way of thinking is how I became the leader of the Salamanders, so I know that I'm capable of surviving in this world. Eiji on the other hand... I have no doubts that he's worrying himself into old age right about now. He's a man of action, and as strong as he likes to appear, he has a softer side to him as well. He frequently tries to protect me, perhaps because I tend to see the things that he overlooks. In this situation though, there is nothing he can do. As strong as he is, that strength counts for nothing, because he is not in this world. He will no doubt be cursing his inability to help me, and lamenting his ineptitude; his development as a pure fighter rather than training his mind as well.” Sinon's ears twitch at this. _Lord Mortimer is trapped in here too? I'm a little surprised he came here alone. And Eugene's real name is Eiji? Interesting. I wonder how he came up with the name 'Eugene' then_. Sora looks distantly at this.

“Well, I can understand what he's going through. I know that despair all too well. The feeling of helplessness while someone you care about is trapped in a death game, the self-hatred that comes from not joining them, or not taking their place. I'll do everything in my power to make sure you two are reunited. I wouldn't wish my pain on anyone else, so I'll do what I can to make sure no-one feels it.” Mortimer looks at Sora in shock.

“You've been through that? But that would mean...” Sora nods.

“That's right. Sword Art Online. My sister went into the game... and she never came back again. It's been almost seven years since she died, and the pain is still just as strong now as it was back then. That's why I can't let your brother go through that. It's why I can't let _anyone_ go through that. Unfortunately, thousands already have. So many have been killed by this game already, and it hasn't even been a month yet. The death toll exceeds that of SAO, greatly, and in a far shorter time-frame. I blame myself for this. There were many things I could have done differently, and many lives would have been saved. Or so I tell myself, but I know that there are people who would tell me otherwise, that there's no guarantee I'd get the outcome I believe I would. Perhaps they're right, and perhaps not. There's no use in thinking about that though. I need to focus on what lay in front of me. I need to focus on saving as many people as I can, as quickly as I can.” Mortimer looks at Sora almost enviously.

“You're pretty incredible, you know that? Despite the pain you've been through, of losing someone in this situation, and despite all of the dangers you're guaranteed to face; you're still calm, and focused on what you need to do. I wish I could be calm like that. I've tried everything I can think of, but fear always comes back to me, and then it becomes the only thing I can focus on, when I don't want to.” Sora glances at Mortimer.

“It sounds like you need a distraction. You're a man of logic, of reason. You need something to occupy your mind so that it can't have the chance to think about anything else. I'd recommend training your Build Stats for that. You can use those to craft things that you can then sell to players, things that we all need. Whether you choose to forge weapons and armour, brew potions, or assist in constructing new homes or fortifying the town's defences, that'll all be beneficial to everyone here, and to you as well. That's just for starters. There's something else actually, something you can help me with. It doesn't relate to this game though, but to ALO. When we get out of this game, and we will, I'd like for you to contact General Starlord, to begin working towards forming an alliance with the Spriggans.” Mortimer twitches, almost wondering if he misheard Sora.

“A-An alliance? Between the Spriggans and the Salamanders? Even _if_ we could make it work, what good would it do? Wouldn't it jeopardize the alliance with the Undines as well?” Sora shakes his head.

“That will never falter, I can make sure of that. As for why I'm suggesting this... there's a serious problem facing ALO in the future. You know that the game is based heavily on Norse mythology. Alfheim, Jotunheim, Niflheim... they're three of the Nine Worlds of Norse mythology. I'm sure you know what fate awaits Yggdrasiel: the attack by the Fire Giants of Muspelheim. If the information I've received is accurate, and I have no reason to doubt that accuracy; then the Fire Giants will attack in approximately seventeen months. This isn't going to be like King Thrymr's Slaughter Quest. It isn't even going to be as small as the Kraler Assault three weeks ago. This will be a full-scale, all-out war. Muspelheim's entire army will assault Yggdrasiel, and burn it to ash. We need to prevent this. We need to work together in order to do that though. That's the one thing I've never understood about the players of ALO. We're given these nine races of Faeries, each with their own unique traits, and yet rather than work together and combine all of these traits, we've instead decided to segregate; to divide and isolate ourselves while simultaneously discriminating against each other. It's not just absurd, it's primitive. That behaviour will lead to the destruction of Yggdrasiel, and Alfheim Online will be no more. That's why I want our two races to work together. If the two races that have been most hostile towards one another can form a stable alliance, then the other races will set aside their differences as well, and we can stop fighting each other. We need all nine races to be allied with one another, working together as a single army of Faeries. Only then do we stand a chance of preventing Ragnarök from taking place.” Mortimer's shock increases.

“Wait, what do you mean? ALO will be no more? How is that possible?” Sora stares distantly again.

“I've been doing a lot of research into ALO, into the system that it's built upon. I learned that it has used the exact same Cardinal System that SAO used. The Cardinal System doesn't just govern drop rates, monster spawns and so on, but also has subroutines for quest generation. The game produces new quests that the administrators don't know about, like the Slaughter Quest I mentioned earlier. One of the tasks that SAO's Cardinal System was programmed to do; was to destroy the entire game-world upon its completion. ALO uses an exact copy of this system, so it still has the programming to carry out game-world deletion. If we fail to prevent Ragnarök, then the Nine Realms will be destroyed, and ALO will be no more.” Mortimer becomes pensive at this.

“Game-world deletion... I want to be able to reject what you've said, but I myself have encountered these auto-generated quests. I know then that you're telling the truth. If we are to prevent Alfheim Online from terminating itself, we have to prevent Ragnarök from occurring. There will be precursors that we will need to face, undoubtedly. From what I recall of the legends, an early sign is that three roosters will crow, in various realms. The great wolf Fenrir will break free, seeking to slay Odin. Loki too will escape his bindings and challenge Heimdallr. Jörmungandr will surface, causing tsunamis in the process and fight against Thor. It is at this point when the Fire Giants of Muspelheim, led by Surtr, are said to march forth across the Bifröst, breaking it, before setting the world ablaze. Preventing any of these events from happening will surely affect the way Ragnarök plays out, though ideally we need to prevent all of them. We will need Odin, Heimdallr and Thor alive and on our side in order to stand our best chance against Surtr and the Fire Giants. I know that Ragnarök isn't technically the end, but there's no guarantee that the Cardinal System will recreate the world anew, as happens in the legends. There is a lot to think about here, a lot of strategies to draw up.” Sora smiles faintly.

“Then I'll leave that up to you. I feel better already, knowing that one of the three greatest masterminds in Alfheim is devising battle plans for this war.” Mortimer turns to face Sora again.

“What about the alliance though? Surely there's no way General Starlord would accept that I'm telling the truth.” Pain flashes across Sora's eyes for an instant.

“If he seems to doubt you, then tell him that 'this alliance is blessed by the radiant dawn.' It's a kind of code that he and I have. He'll know that I told you this code, and that you therefore are telling the truth. He'll be shocked, to be sure, but he'll work towards an alliance all the same.” Mortimer looks pensive for a moment.

“I suspect that there is hidden meaning to that code, but I will not pry into it. 'This alliance is blessed by the radiant dawn.' I will memorize that code, and act upon it as soon as possible. In that interest, and if you have no objections, I would like to get started on drawing up plans. For something of this scale, I will need all the time I can muster.” Sora nods.

“By all means. I do not wish to keep you unnecessarily.” Mortimer nods and jumps from the plinth. He walks a few steps, before stopping.

“Nebula... thank you. For reaching out to me. I will repay that kindness, somehow.” He departs before Sora can make a response, leaving the Hellborne looking distant. He stands in silence for a moment, before speaking up again.

“I'm glad you opted to keep quiet, Sinon. I'm not sure how Mortimer would have reacted to your presence, but something tells me it wouldn't have been favourable.” Sinon moves to stand beside Sora, looking at him curiously.

“You knew I was listening?” Sora nods.

“Well, I _have_ gotten used to having people trying to sneak up on me. Like Natalie. My instincts have learned to watch my back quite well. In some situations at least. In a fierce battle, like with the first Bugbear Commander, I can't watch my back without losing focus on what's in front of me. At times like this though, I can usually pick up on someone sneaking up from around fifteen metres.” Sinon looks intrigued.

“I should have known. Very interesting to learn that Eugene's real name is Eiji, though I wonder where exactly 'Eugene' came from then.” Sora smiles.

“Actually, it makes more sense than his brother's alias. Eugene's real name is Eiji Ueno, so it's not hard to mash that up to get Eugene. Mortimer's real name on the other hand is Mamoru Ueno. Apparently he took the 'moru' part of his name and attached it at random to 'Shima'. 'Morushima' isn't that far from Mortimer in terms of pronunciation, if you think about it.” Sinon is surprised by this.

“I guess... but how do you even know what their names are?” Sora answers flatly.

“The first rule of combat: Know your enemy. No two races have been at each other's throats more than the Spriggans and Salamanders. As their two biggest fish, it's only natural that I would investigate Eugene and Mortimer extensively.” Sinon nods, understanding.

“I see. And now you're trying to change that. You're trying to get the two most unlikely allies to form an actual alliance, as the first step in preparing for Ragnarök.” Sora shakes his head.

“Actually this is the fourteenth step. I've already started planning for it and taking steps towards it since the second you told me we were approaching Ragnarök. The first step was deciding which of my two accounts I'd use in the upcoming battle. It might seem like an obvious decision, but it's something I wanted to think about carefully all the same. It has to be Virtual Demon though. Barrett is a good character, but too specialised for an all-out war as this is liable to be. I may well have need for Virtual Demon's ten legendary weapons, as well as his more versatile stats.” Sinon looks at Sora curiously.

“They way you talk about your accounts sounds as though you treat them as separate people.” Sora thinks about this for a moment.

“That's not a bad analogy, actually. Certainly Virtual Demon's a separate person to Barrett, and yet separate to me as well. In terms of personality aspects I mean, and a few other details. I've never put the entirety of who I am into a character before. I've always been averse to doing that in case it messes with my perception of reality. I tend to leave aspects of my personality out, therefore, so that I can avoid this. Virtual Demon isn't especially well built for supporting roles, which is something I was once very well known for. He's a frontline fighter, and something of a tank as well. While ranging is possible, true support work is not. I have no wands or staves, no buffing or healing skills. All I can do is fight or use myself as a meat-shield. Likewise, Barrett is too specialised for my full personality to be needed. He uses more of my protective nature, but lacks my reckless impulsiveness. So in a way, not only are they separate people from one another, but separate from me as a person too. Well, you've seen what happens when I can't distinguish between reality and the game. This is just one measure I use to prevent that from happening.” Sinon looks intrigued by this.

“I see now. That makes a lot of sense now that I think about it. I know you said you don't put _all_ of yourself into a character, but which of them is the closest to this?” Sora gestures to himself.

“That would be this character. I've had to put so much of myself into this character in order to tackle this crisis. I leave out as much as I can, but it isn't much that gets omitted. As time goes on, I find myself needing to incorporate more and more of myself. I believe that contributed to my breakdown. I've put too much of myself into this character, but I don't have any choice. I hold back what I can, when I can, but it isn't as much as I normally would. I don't have that luxury. This is the closest to the real me that anyone has seen in a long long time. Based upon the way the game is progressing, it won't be long until the character and I become one and the same. It is inevitable that this will happen, but I fear that day. It will not be a peaceful one.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 29th 2030 – 0904 JST**

Cold gusts tug at Luna's hair and cloak, but her exhilaration subdues the biting temperatures as she soars over the town of Kraler. She rides upon Sora's back, a special kind of harness allowing her to kneel in place so that his wings and tail can still move freely. Sora spirals tightly around the spire of the Church of Aethilar, before dropping just above ground level, gliding so close to the cobbles that weeds are ripped up from the passage of Sora's wake. Luna resists the urge to call out in excitement, and tightens her grip on her staff. Up ahead, the reason for their joint flight is revealed: a half-dozen grotesque warthogs that appear to be made of dark purple crystals race away from the market area, each one carrying jewellery and weapons in its jaws. Luna aims her staff at these warthogs and begins chanting.

“Yfua Drælgara Granmis Horan, Ilbrei Pordana Relmyz Talyfua!” Sora watches as the warthogs each gain an identical icon by their health bars: a green triangle bearing three white crescents arranged left to right and growing in size, resting atop a red star. An icon also appears next to Sora's health bar, depicting a green arrow pointing upwards, with three white crescents arranged bottom to top and growing in size. Sora propels himself with powerful sweeps of his wings, rocketing over the warthogs before turning to face them. They barely have time to react to his presence before Sora sweeps with his right hand. A dense cloud of blades visible only to Sora erupts from his hand and tear the warthogs apart, each one being killed instantly. Sora lands as the last warthog disintegrates, and Luna dismounts gracefully. She begins collecting the stolen items from where they had fallen.

“That was impressive casting, Luna. You're a first-rate Supporter.” Luna smiles at Sora as she returns to him.

“Well, it's all thanks to you really. You taught me more about Supporting than I realised existed. You also taught me how to Multicast, which makes buffing and de-buffing a heck of a lot simpler. I don't mind the increased Mana cost, since you've helped me increase my Mana restoration as well. I couldn't have done this without you, dad.” Sora shakes his head.

“I don't know about that. You've got a natural instinct for Supporting work. I have no doubts you would have mastered all of this soon enough anyway, I just gave you a little head-start is all. You should take more credit for your own achievements.” Luna grins mischievously.

“Why, I do believe I hear the pot calling the kettle black.” Sora grimaces as he realises her point.

“Touché.” A deep chuckle rings out from an alleyway, as Agil joins the pair.

“Watching the two of you together never gets tiring. I suppose there's no point in me asking if you dealt with those Living-rock Boars. Once you've returned the items they stole, I have a favour I'd like to ask.” Sora raises an eyebrow.

“What kind of favour?” Agil crosses his arms.

“Nothing major, I was just wondering if I could impose upon you to repair my equipment. I'm still using the shield that Marion made, and it's beginning to run real low on durability. Your smithing level might not be the highest, but you have a talent around the anvil that the other smiths lack. I don't know when I'll be able to get another shield of this quality, so I'd rather see the best of the best to make this last as long as I need it to.” Sora smiles faintly.

“Sure, I'll take care of that. I wanted to forge a few more swords today anyway, so this is good timing. I'll meet you at the forge once I've returned this stuff.” Agil smiles broadly.

“Thanks man, I owe you one.” Sora shrugs casually.

“Don't mention it.” Agil heads off, while Luna and Sora walk back towards the market. Luna glances back over her shoulder.

“I like that guy. He's cool.” Sora smirks.

“Well, you'll get no argument from me. Ever since I first met him in Alfheim, I figured that he was the kind of guy who could become friends with anyone. He just has that kind of personality, and a gift for talking.” Luna looks up at Sora curiously.

“Do you ever wish you were more like him?” Sora looks distant.

“I don't know. Sometimes, maybe, I guess. But over all? Not so much. I've been through an awful lot, and I tend to close myself off as a result. I withdraw from people, as much for their protection as for my own. I keep people from getting close so that I don't have to suffer the pain of yet another loss. At the same time, I do it to stop them from getting hurt by my own withdrawal. The way I am now works for me, given my past, my present, and my future. If I were to change that, who knows what might happen?”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 29th 2030 – 0937 JST**

Sora extracts Agil's shield from the furnace with a pair of large tongs, and holds it atop an anvil before freeing up his right hand. He grabs a smaller set of tongs sticking out of the furnace, pulling out a smelting pot filled with a shimmering platinum liquid. With carefully measured movements, Sora trickles the molten liquid into the cracks and chips of Agil's shield, until the smelting pot is empty. He carefully hammers at the filled cracks, before quenching the shield in water with a hiss of steam. Sora then sets about brushing and polishing the shield with a variety of stones and cloths, occasionally applying various liquids of differing colour and viscosity. After polishing the shield, Sora applies another thick liquid, azure in colour, and spreads out an even coating across the entire shield. He places the shield back in the furnace for sixty seconds, before pulling it out and quenching it once more. A notification appears before him, which he reads allowed to his rapt audience.

“Excellent repair. Durability has increased by three hundred points, fire-resistance has increased by fifteen points, and the defence modifier has increased by one point. Temporary impact resistance has been added, lasting for twenty days. Impact damage will be reduced by 10% during that time.” Agil looks astonished by the result.

“That's even better than I was hoping for. I know blacksmiths can occasionally achieve better repairs through RNG, but in all instances I've heard about so far, durability only increases by single digits, with two instances of it clearing into double digits. Yet you've managed not only to dwarf that increase, but affect the shield's bonuses as well. There's no doubt that you're the best blacksmith in the game. Not even the NPCs can match you.” Kirito jumps in with a question.

“How were you even able to achieve such results? To perform such a repair when blacksmiths of a higher level can't... that doesn't seem logically possible.” Sora shrugs.

“That's because I understand the mechanics of this game better than they do. So far, it seems that I'm the only blacksmith who _doesn't_ use the in-game shortcuts. I'm sure you've encountered these shortcuts by now: you place the items you want to use on a crafting surface, use the appropriate tool, and the game generates a product based upon your levels. The thing is, the game has set parameters for the quality of the product that is created using these shortcuts. I don't use them. I use a slower, but better method, one that is much closer to reality. I filled in the chips and cracks with molten Adamantine, rubbed down these fillings to keep them flush with the surface of the shield, applied a number of polishes and treatments, before glazing the shield and firing that glaze. This method is not far off the methods used in the real world to repair such minor damage, overall, though the glaze and a few other treatments would never be applied IRL. The game has a different set of parameters for this kind of crafting and repair work, and my stats are able to have a greater impact upon the outcome. The result is a greatly superior repair job than anything the higher level smiths can even hope to accomplish. Most people don't know about this method. I didn't either, at first, but eventually I experimented with it. Now I'm able to craft and repair products to a standard that no-one else in the game can match, not even the NPCs. I'm glad I discovered this technique though. We'll need its benefits more and more as we progress further through the game.” Asuna seems intrigued by this.

“Does this method apply to anything else? Can it be used in Apothecary for example?” Sora nods.

“That's right. Any form of crafting, including carpentry, smithing and even cooking can make use of this method, in varying forms, to achieve much better results than the shortcuts. I'm not entirely certain how to do it with Apothecary, to be honest. I've never really looked into potion brewing and herbal remedies before, so I'm not sure how to achieve it. I should imagine that it would be somewhat similar to Multicasting and Spell Dissection however. If you know what results you're aiming for, I suppose combining the right ingredients would be a good place to start, but actually brewing the potions... that's where things get tricky. In the folklore of potion brewing, there's all kinds of methodologies that border on ritualism. Things like brewing under a full moon, or only adding specific ingredients at specific times, or stirring the concoction one way a certain number of times then stirring the other way a different number of times. When it comes to that sort of thing, I think only trial-and-error are going to provide insight, unless there happens to be literature on the subject in this world somewhere.” Kirito's eyes flash hopefully.

“It even works on cooking? So then, I can enjoy Asuna's home-made meals in this world too?” Asuna sighs wearily at this.

“There you go again, always thinking with your stomach.” Everyone laughs at this, even Kirito. A blinking icon pops up next to Sora, and his laughter ends the moment he opens the notification. Sinon also stops laughing when she sees Sora's distraught expression.

“What's wrong? Has something happened?” Sora shakes his head.

“It's not like that. This is a notification I programmed into my full dive rig. To be honest, I'm ashamed with myself for forgetting about this, even though recent events are the cause of that lapse in memory. There's nothing I can do about it though. There's no way I can get to Aincrad right now. Well, Vince knows about this too, so I guess he'll go in my stead, though it ought to be me really. He didn't know her after all.” Luna looks confused.

“What are you talking about?” Sora sighs heavily.

“I keep a permanent reminder of something... some _one_ I don't ever want to forget. At one time we were good friends... and then I lost her. Four years ago, to this very day.” Sinon looks troubled by this. _Yet another loss? Just how many have been ripped out of his life so cruelly?_ Asuna glances at her internal clock and gasps.

“Four years ago today? But that... that was the day that Yūki Konno passed away. You knew her?” Sora nods.

“I did, but not as well as you it seems. At one time, we lived quite close to one another. Close enough that I would often play with her and her sister. I was about a year and a half younger than her, and too young to understand why some people seemed to avoid her family. I think her mother appreciated that about me: the innocence of youth that meant I was free of such ignorant behaviour. There came a time though that we would separate. My father, brother, sister and I all moved away to Matsudo, so I was no longer able to see Yūki any more. I'd always wanted to try and find her again, but Fate seemed to have other plans. I was thrown into one turmoil after another, my life being turned upside-down more and more with each disaster. Eventually though, I found her again, in Aincrad no less. I'm sure you all know about the challenge she had posted on the forums. Well, I had been one of the players to take that challenge. I was still pretty new to the game so I got absolutely creamed. The moment I saw her though, I knew it was my old friend. It was not a happy reunion though. As it turns out... she'd forgotten me. I wanted to try and spend time with her again, see if I could get her to remember, but Fate wouldn't let me. If it wasn't problems on my end, it was things going on for her. Then the word got out that she was... I was devastated. I joined the procession to say goodbye to her... and that was it. Even so, even if she forgot about me, I never forgot about her. She made her mark on my life. As a way of honouring and remembering Zekken, I made it a habit to travel to the island on Floor 24, and leave behind a sword of my own creation, and a single white lily. Vince is capable of leaving those in my place but... it's just not the same. I feel as though I'm disrespecting her by not doing it myself. Just another thing I have to punish Reality Bytes for.” Asuna looks at Sora both sadly and curiously.

“So it was you. I wondered who was leaving _those_ tributes. Several items were left at that tree the year after her passing, but you and I were the only ones who made it consistent. Even if she didn't remember you, I know it would mean a lot to her that you continue to remember her as you do.” Sora nods but doesn't say anything, so Klein raises a question.

“If you can make swords, why did you need to buy one from Agil? Wouldn't it have been cheaper to make your own?” Sora shakes his head.

“Not at all. I'm not as skilled at smithing in ALO as I am here. I've tried forging swords for myself, but they've never been especially good. Too heavy, too light, too long or short, or too ugly. If I dedicate months to the task, I can produce a good sword, but those are the swords I use for tribute. On average, it takes me nine months to forge a sword worthy of honouring Yūki with. In order to get the resources to do that kind of forging, I need a good sword. So really, I'd need Counterpoint in order to find the materials necessary to attempt to rival it. Counterpoint is the best I've found in ALO. It may well even be better than Durandal. In this world though, I can forge swords a thousand times better than anything I can make in ALO, and I can do that in a matter of minutes really. I don't think I'll ever truly get good at smithing in ALO. The results are too unsatisfactory, and based solely on stats. Here, I can use the method I mentioned earlier to create high quality swords that look pretty much exactly how I want them to. There's _some_ variation in appearance due to RNG, but not much.” Luna asks a question of her own, seeking to keep the conversation in a lighter mood.

“Speaking of sword forging, you made some more of them today. How many are you up to now?” Sora doesn't have to check his inventory to answer this.

“I have precisely forty pairs of swords, with blades ranging in length from sixty to seventy centimetres, weighing approximately two and a half kilos each. All of them are absolutely ideal for countering. Some are good for piercing armour, others are good for shredding it. I have single-edged swords, double-edged swords, serrated-edged swords and edgeless swords. Basically I have swords for just about any situation. Several of them have -burst elements as well, and all are considered Masterwork weapons. All carry either the Keen or Lancinating keywords as well. I'm about as ready as I'm ever going to be to resume taking on the Path of Destiny. Well, in terms of physical well-being and equipment anyway. Mentally speaking I think I should wait another day. I need to make absolutely sure that my emotions have been properly stabilised. It wouldn't hurt to try and raise my Flight and Tail stats a bit more either.” Agil comments upon this.

“Your Flight stat must be pretty high by now, right? During the Kraler Assault, you seemed to be struggling to stay airborne while carrying people. Today though, you had Luna riding on your back and yet you were flying effortlessly. Your Flight Level must be in the twenties at least.” Sora nods.

“Very close. I cleared Level 30 today. My Tail Level is 28 as well. I can carry smallish objects with it, and wield knives and similar weapons, but I've got a way to go before I can equip a small-sword to my tail slot. I have five daggers equipped to that slot though, with the best of these being a Keen Masterwork Icy-burst Adamantine Dagger of Speed +11. All of my swords have been added to my Priority List, so that'll help me out a lot too.” Klein looks a little confused by this.

“Priority List?” Sora nods.

“That's what it's called in this game, but a more common term in other games is Quick Bar. It's an inventory list that you can add items to, allowing you to equip them instantaneously without having to navigate menus. It's extremely beneficial to keep your best items in your Priority List, especially if you're using the SoulMersion rig.” Klein says no more, lapsing into an intrigued silence. Sinon looks at Sora with concern.

“So you want to continue with the Path of Destiny tomorrow? I know we shouldn't be delaying, and I know you're averse to staying still for too long, but I don't want you to rush yourself. I'll feel a lot better if I know you're definitely back to 100%.” Sora shakes his head.

“It'll be fine, Sinon. I promise. I could probably handle the Path of Destiny today, but I'm really not a fan of marching on 'probably.' I know I'll be ready for it tomorrow. I just need to use today to finish straightening my mind and emotions out, and that's it. As I say, my physical condition and my equipment are entirely ready to go. Once my mind catches up, we can push on. Tomorrow, we'll depart for the Evergreen Death. It'll be a long journey, so you guys should take this opportunity to rest up. We'll have to camp out in the wilderness a few times before we hit the forest. The better rested you are now, the less exhausted you'll be when we reach our destination.”


	10. A Titan of an Event

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rescue Team finally sets out for the Evergreen Death, but their journey will by no means be an easy one. It is not just the length of the journey - 200km - that will cause problems, but a greater threat lay in waiting for them. Specifically, it waits for Nebula. When faced with his greatest challenge yet, and with eyes watching, can Nebula overcome this trial without exposing his true identity?

**March 30th 2030 – 0907 JST**

Agil, Suguha, Sinon and Luna sit together in Sora's room, with Yui perched upon Sora's right horn. Sora stares at the black ring on his right middle finger for a few moments before speaking.

“There are a couple things I wanted to share with you today, before we head to the Evergreen Death. One of these will become protected by the Truth Rings we've been given. I'm sharing these things with you because I trust you, and because I feel you're all close enough to me to know them. So, the first thing I will tell you, the thing that will be protected by the Truth Ring; is my true name. My real name is Sora Seiun.” Sinon frowns at this.

“Seiun? I thought you said it was Saki?” Sora shakes his head.

“I know, but that's not strictly true. I _do_ frequently use it as my surname though, for personal reasons which I will come back to in a moment. My _real_ surname though is Seiun. It is written with the characters for 'star' and 'cloud'. As you can imagine then, it translates as 'nebula'. I don't think I need to explain why I use Nebula as a username therefore.” The group collectively shakes its head but says nothing, allowing Sora to continue. 

“Nebula is the least subtle of all of my usernames, I must admit. But, I was only seven years of age when I started using it, so I guess that's to be expected. I only ever used it for tabletop RPGs as well, with the exception of this world, so it never caused any harm. Once I started playing MMOs, I started using names that could never be connected to my real identity. The next thing I wanted to share with you is something that you may find... intriguing. 'Sora' is actually written with the characters for 'celestial'. However, my parents didn't like the normal pronunciation. My dad would sometimes joke that 'tentai' sounded like a shorthand for tentacle porn. So, my parents sought a different pronunciation. Since 'sora' _can_ , in certain circumstances refer to the celestial, they chose to use that pronunciation, which they felt also gave my name a poetic ring to it.” Suguha nods approvingly.

“There's no doubt about that. I seem to recall there being a manga series that did the same thing for the same reason. Your parents had good taste, though it's something of a curious name.” Sora shrugs casually.

“They were curious people. I'm grateful for their choice, if I'm honest. Getting back to 'saki' though, that has a slightly different origin. One that means more to me than my actual name, which is why I prefer to use it. 'Saki' is written like this:” Sora writes two characters on a piece of parchment: 小鬼. He then resumes speaking.

“It translates to 'imp' or literally to 'little demon'. Saki is a nickname, one that my sister gave me. I've always been known for mischievous behaviour, and Akatsuki found that to be endearing rather than annoying. When we lost our father and our brother, my impish behaviour was one of the few things that kept my sister from descending into endless despair. I had a nickname for her too but, I'm not ready to share that yet. Talking about Akatsuki for long still hurts me, even after all this time.” Sinon reaches out to Sora, grasping his right hand gently.

“It's okay, you don't have to tell us about that yet. We know you'll do so when you're ready to.” Sora nods silently, so Yui speaks instead.

“So you prefer to go by 'Saki' because of that? Because of your sister?” Sora nods again.

“That's right. It kind of feels like I can keep a strong bond with her by doing so, even though she's not here anymore. It kind of feels like I'm able to keep her alive in my heart as long as I hold on to the nickname she gave me.” Luna looks somewhat saddened to hear this.

“You know, it's actually surprising that you're so keen to protect the virtual world, given what happened I mean.” Sora smiles faintly at this.

“True, but the reason I want to protect the virtual world also goes back to my sister, as most things about me do. Akatsuki always wanted to travel the world. She was particularly fond of valleys. She said that the sight of rivers winding through a misty mountain valley was magical to her. In her spare time, she would often draw fantasy-style valleys. One of her drawings even won a prize, so she recreated it as a mural on one wall of her room. After I lost her, I found myself in Alfheim, just sort of wandering around. On a whim, I ended up in the Rainbow Valley. A storm had just past, and the setting sun emerged from the clouds. As I looked at the view, I was struck by how similar the scene before me had been to the drawing that Akatsuki had won an award for. I found the magical valley that she dreamed of. The moment I made that realisation, I found my love for the virtual world. Now, I'll protect it with every fibre of my being. I have to protect my sister's ideal scene, no matter what. I can't let the virtual world be shut down, and I can't let ALO be deleted by Ragnarök. The Rainbow Valley has become my true home. I even built a house out there as soon as that update came to ALO, and I refuse to let it be destroyed. I couldn't protect her from SAO, but I will never fail to protect the valley that she had envisioned.” Sinon squeezes Sora's hand reassuringly.

“I'll help you to protect it, you have my word. I'm sure we'll all help you there. When we get out of here, I'd like to see the Rainbow Valley with you, if that's okay with you.” Sora nods.

“Sure. I can't guarantee the weather conditions will be ideal. Things get very changeable round there, so I don't know if you'll see it exactly the way I did, but you never know.” A knock on the door interrupts any further conversation. Sora calls out.

“Door's open, come on in.” Kirito enters the room, with Asuna, Klein and Cassandra in tow. Asuna notices Yui with a curious expression.

“There you are. What have you been up to?” Yui flutters over to her parents.

“Just small talk. Alfheim mostly.” Cassandra frowns at this.

“Alfheim? Is this really the right time to talk about such things?” Sora sighs heavily.

“I could have sworn I've already said more than once that small talk is good for morale, and that morale is very important in this crisis. I really don't like repeating myself unnecessarily. I take it we're all ready to go then?” Kirito nods.

“Yeah, I think we're as ready as we're ever going to be. We've been stocking up on supplies at the market, rooting around for any useful information the NPCs might have, that sort of thing. Doesn't seem like there's anything left to do but to head out.” Sora stands, and the others do too.

“Alright then.” He turns to Luna.

“Your mother and I are going to be away for a while, but we _will_ come back. That I can promise you. Stay out of trouble, remember the advice I gave you about NPCs, and if you need anything, Persia's probably your best bet. I'll answer any messages you send as and when I can, but if I'm in battle then the message won't be delivered until it's over.” Luna looks up at Sora with concern.

“How long will you be gone exactly?” Sora shakes his head.

“I'm afraid I can't give an exact answer. It's a pretty long journey. I'm not expecting many battles between here and the forest, but those won't delay us much anyway since we kick arse. Once we clear the forest we'll be able to teleport straight back. Well, _almost_. It'll take two teleports to get back here. The only part that will take time is getting there. How long exactly depends on the stamina of these guys. Something tells me that Klein is going to need to take a few breaks.” Klein pouts at this.

“My stamina isn't _that_ bad!” Sora looks at Klein sardonically.

“You needed three breaks when we were headed for the Cave of Origins. This is a much longer journey.” Klein pales at this.

“How much longer?” Sora opens his map and begins pointing things out.

“From here to the Cave of Origins, it's two kilometres as the crow flies. The Evergreen Death is all the way over here, two _hundred_ kilometres as the crow flies. It'll take a few days for us to get there. I reckon it'll take another day on top of that to traverse the Evergreen Death and find what we're looking for. It's a dense forest, it'll slow us down a lot, and since it's technically one giant dungeon we won't be able to stop and sleep.” Klein struggles to make a one word reply.

“S-Seriously?” Sora nods.

“That's right. It sounds like you've massively underestimated the size of this world. The continent of Mesikari measures 50,212 kilometres in length and 9,461 kilometres in width. Its length is greater than the circumference of the Earth, and we're going to be traversing basically all of that to reach the Tower of the Gods.” Asuna looks shocked by this.

“Fifty thousand kilometres? Is that even possible to traverse?” Sora smiles faintly.

“Of course it is. This game is hard, not impossible. Most of that distance will be covered by flying. From Zephyr Plateau to the Valley of a Thousand Deaths, via Skye Castle. Around forty-five thousand kilometres we'll be flying across. There are jet streams in the upper atmosphere that will greatly accelerate our progress. It'll take roughly three days to get from Zephyr Plateau to Skye Castle, and about the same again to reach the Valley of a Thousand Deaths. There's also going to be mounts and steeds becoming available once we clear the Evergreen Death, or so the website said. That ought to shorten our journey time as well. This will likely be the longest trip we have to take in the whole game. I'll set up a Safe Zone halfway there so that we can jump quickly. Teleportation in this game has a maximum distance of one hundred kilometres, hence why it will take two jumps to get back.” Asuna's relief alleviates her shock, but she still feels uneasy.

“Well, I guess that's not so bad then. Are you sure it'll be that quick taking on the Evergreen Death though? You make it sound almost like a walk in the park.” Sora nods confidently.

“Maybe not _that_ easy, but my estimate will prove accurate. Thanks to the mobs that spawn in town, I've managed to grind my way to Level 21. Unless the journey is bizarrely devoid of mobs, there's no way I'll reach the Evergreen Death without levelling up once more. In case you've forgotten, Level 22 is when I'll be able to equip Durandal. With its stats and skills, and my own talent with a blade, there's nothing in the forest that will survive me. Once I can equip Durandal, I'll be able to solo monsters as high as level 35, possibly even as high as level 40. Even _with_ the adaptive AI in place, we won't encounter anything that high level. Around Level 28 at the most, though probably lower. As long as you all live up to your respective reputations, we'll be fine. Guaranteed.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**April 2nd 2030 – 1428 JST**

Tatsuya Kurokami stands by the purple spire at the centre of the rooftop of the Tower of the Gods. He speaks with a youngish male with short sandy hair and pale blue eyes.

“You've managed to reconnect the AIT to the network, Hermes? At last. Perhaps now we can move towards bringing this situation back under our control.” Hermes nods.

“I hope so. Achieving this was far more complex than I initially believed it to be. We underestimated the extent to which the mysterious hacker had tampered with us. While their attacks appeared basic at first, under the surface their actions were less amateurish. The strands of code that we had originally considered to be random and meaningless were in fact carefully and deliberately programmed to react to our efforts to counteract them, crippling our efforts to restore our AIT to the network. This method is actually familiar to me, but at a less sophisticated level. It is essentially a fundamental version of what Valkyrie often uses, a cheap imitation if you will. Because of this misunderstanding, our efforts were hampered and delayed. Having to circumnavigate the interference from external hackers, no doubt working with QZR Studios, only exacerbated the set backs.” Tatsuya frowns at this.

“So the hacker was imitating Valkyrie's algorithms?” Hermes nods.

“That's right, but it was more than just the algorithms themselves. The way they were coded and deployed, the defensive encryptions... everything about these attacks were identical to Valkyrie's, but on a more primitive scale. It's as if we were being hacked by a much younger and more inexperienced version of Valkyrie.” Tatsuya sneers in distaste.

“I see. I admire their choice of role model, but the thought of someone attempting to mimic Valkyrie irks me. Valkyrie has a level of finesse and efficiency that comes about only once in a generation. To learn that an amateur is copycatting him is almost offensive. Regardless, now that we know the methodologies they're using, we'll know how to defend against them more efficiently in future. The only problem left is sidestepping the QZR hackers. Evidently they don't yet understand our focus has shifted. We have to focus on thwarting the efforts of Laughing Coffin, before our mission is compromised any further. Keep me updated on the situation as it progresses, and alert me if Laughing Coffin should surface once more. Above all else, we have to put an end to those cold-blooded murderers.” Hermes nods again.

“Yes sir!” Tatsuya moves off, heading to the southern edge of the rooftop, where he stares out into the distance. _So this mysterious hacker is using a primitive version of Valkyrie's hacking methodology. That's quite impressive, if I'm honest. Valkyrie's approach to hacking is even more lateral than his approach to problem solving. He never infiltrates a target directly, but instead infiltrates an entirely unrelated system, and spreads his way towards the target, almost like an infection. When it comes to direct infiltrations though, Valkyrie is a force to be reckoned with. His Trojan Horse programs are exceptional, and often times undetectable. Anti-malware firms are unable to keep up with the curve that he sets. In that regard, he is entirely without equal within Reality Bytes. His only weak point seems to be with decryption, but even there he is still quite formidable, just not as fast at it as Pleiades or Kronos. Knowing that there's a hacker out there that can make the same approach to hacking as Valkyrie, even on a more fundamental level, is troubling. I'd assumed that Valkyrie's approach was entirely unique, but now it seems that I was wrong. If only I could get in touch with Valkyrie himself and let him know about this, but doing so would run an unacceptable risk of exposing him to the hostages. They might try to kill him out of fear and anger. We need Valkyrie, alive and well, and able to assist us. This mission will only end in catastrophic failure without him._

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**April 3rd 2030 – 0943 JST**

Vassago sits beside Locust at a computer, with Locust gesturing to the screen, and the labyrinth of programming code.

“I know we've been warned not to try interfering with the game too much, due to the presence of hackers at QZR Studios. However, a target of opportunity has presented itself, within this section of coding.” Vassago examines the code for a few moments.

“This coding... am I mistaken in thinking that it refers to automatic quest generation?” Locust shakes his head.

“No, you are entirely correct. Just as with Alfheim Online, the core system of Destiny's Calling Online has subroutines for automatic quest generation. The game itself can create new quests, a feature designed to keep the game fresh and interesting, and adding new levels of challenges, since there can be no risk of an information leak. What interests me most here is the parameters for quest targetting. In other words, these parameters specify who can undertake the quest and when. It determines prerequisites, and as such they can even apply to specific players spontaneously.” Vassago narrows his eyes, believing that he might see where Locust is going with this.

“These parameters, can they be modified externally? Can they, for example, be modified to target a very specific player given the right programming? More importantly, can they be modified to make the generated quest a mandatory one, which cannot possibly be forfeit?” Locust nods.

“That's exactly right. The code block allows for admin input, so that specific players can, in theory, be targetted with a quest they cannot back out from. There is a limit to how much influence we can have on the quest itself, but we can tamper with the overall difficulty to a moderate degree. We can't, for example, force a player to face a monster that is more than three times their own level, unless they are exceptionally low level but of exceptionally high skill. But we _can_ encourage the system to generate a quest that, in terms of probability, is impossible for the targetted player to complete. I can't say with 100% certainty that it will accomplish exactly what we want it to, but it will come close. Perhaps close enough for someone inside the game to finish the job.” Vassago nods, understanding Locust completely. _Very clever. Since this is an automatically generated quest, no-one would ever suspect that the Over-watch is involved. They can look at the coding, and see that the values are well within the parameters, they just happened to fall on the high end. They will believe that the pesky Virtual Demon simply faced rotten luck, when in actuality we set him up to face a quest that has a high probability of killing him. Just how strong_ is _Virtual Demon exactly? Will he be able to survive a monster that is double his level, if it has exceptional resistances to the type of build he has chosen for his character? I want to see this for myself: the perfect performance._

“Do it.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**April 3rd 2030 – 1101 JST**

Keiko and Rika sit together at a computer to one side of the QZR Studios' control room, watching recorded footage of a battle that had taken place in DCO. Midori and Shiro come over to the girls, bringing cups of tea with them.

“What's that you're watching?” Keiko looks up at Midori, and accepts the cup of tea.

“We were just watching the boss fight from the Tower of Kraler. No matter how many times I see it, I'm still blown away by Sora's skills and strength as a gamer. He did almost all of the fighting in that battle, and he made it look so easy. I've seen Kiri- I mean, I've seen Kazuto fighting a lot, in Alfheim and in Gun Gale, but the disparity in skills is almost too much to comprehend. Especially when you consider that Sora has been holding back on the true extent of his skills. I can't help but wonder how differently things would have turned out if Sora had been in Sword Art with us.” Rika nods in agreement.

“I've been wondering about that for a while too. I don't mean to criticize Kazuto's abilities, but there's no denying the difference in skill level. I still remember when Kazuto protected me from the dragon on Floor 55 of Aincrad. I thought he was playing around with it back then, but I think that if it had been Sora fighting that dragon, then he might have killed it by accident. I've never witnessed Sora's skills in person before, but watching videos like this one is like watching a God fight against mere mortals. I can't begin to imagine how differently things would have played out if Sora had been trapped with us. The only thing I can be certain of is that his sister would still be alive. I doubt that Sora would have allowed any other possibility.” Midori raises an eyebrow.

“Is Kazuto considered to be a strong player then? He never really discusses his gaming with me, except in a casual manner, so I don't really know anything about these games or his skills within them.” Rika nods again.

“Back in SAO, Kazuto was considered to be one of the three strongest players, along with Asuna and Akihiko Kayaba, not that we realised that Kayaba was in the game at the time. Kazuto was famous for being a solo player who could take down some of the strongest monsters by himself. His reflexes were so fast that he was awarded a Unique Skill: Dual-Blade. With one sword, Kazuto was deadly. With two at the same time, he was God-like. His skills remained just as sharp in Alfheim, for a while at least. In GGO as well, he came to win the 3rd Bullet of Bullets tournament with Sinon, even though he'd only just joined the game and had zero experience with it. What I will say is that Kazuto doesn't go all out any more. He only does that when the game stops being a game. In other words, when people can die for real, that's when Kazuto goes all out.” Midori looks a little shocked by this.

“He was a solo player? In that death game?” Keiko looks distant, and saddened.

“I don't know the reason for myself, but there was something, some reason that Kazuto chose to play alone. Something had happened to him in SAO, and he refused to join guilds because of it. The only person who knows what happened is Asuna, but it's not like we can just ask her about it. That's something Kazuto will have to share with us on his own, when he's ready to.” Midori's shock abates, replaced with mild sadness.

“I see. I guess that there must be a good reason then. I know Kazuto is still haunted by the memories of that world. Every so often he would have nightmares about it. Still, knowing that Kazuto was so famous for his strength and skill gives me a chance to grasp the scope of the difference between Kazuto and Sora. Would it be fair to compare them to a VRMMORPG newcomer and a veteran of the genre respectively?” Keiko and Rika both nod together, and Shiro weighs in on this as well.

“I believe that would be a fair comparison. I know a little of Sora's reputation as the Virtual Demon. My cousin is a gamer, so she'll sometimes tell me about Virtual Demon's accomplishments. To my knowledge, Kazuto and Sora have never directly battled against each other, yet. I know that Sora has faced Asuna at least once, in a game called Mage World Online. They were participating in some kind of grand tournament, and both had made it to the finals. Sora utterly annihilated Asuna in under five seconds. Since Asuna was one of the three strongest SAO players, and consistently remains one of the elite VRMMO gamers, I think this further emphasises Sora's skills. I'm aware that Asuna was once part of a team of seven players that took down a difficult boss in New Aincrad, but Sora can trump that with ease. He cleared the eleven most difficult floors of New Aincrad entirely by himself. The boss on Floor 100 was, in fact, seven bosses. Sora took them all on, by himself, in a battle that lasted seventy-one hours without pause. Only three days after achieving that feat, Sora went on to win his 500th consecutive Bullet of Bullets tournament victory. These feats, as well as what he accomplishes in DCO, do not come without a price however, as you can see here.” Shiro gestures to the video feed, where Sora is seen holding a hand to his head, with Sinon behind him, supporting him. Midori looks at this questioningly.

“Wasn't that just a case of migraine? What's so special about that?” Shiro holds up two fingers.

“There are two key points here. First of all, Sora shouldn't even be feeling migraine. That's something affecting his physical body, not his virtual one. Even in the days of the NerveGear, players have never been able to feel anything that happens to their physical body. The relays in the full dive rigs prevented this. That's the key feature that led to the development and enhancement of the Medicuboid rigs. Yet, Sora is able to experience migraines, which brings me to the second key point: every time Sora exerts himself beyond a certain level, he suffers a toll. In minor cases it's migraine, but the harder he pushes himself, the greater the toll he suffers. His victory over the Floor 100 bosses was only earned by exerting himself greatly, for a full seventy-one hours at that. The exhaustion didn't hit him right away, but when it did he was automatically logged out, and remained unconscious for forty-three hours straight. He barely managed to register for the 504th BoB tournament in time due to his collapse. Sora is plainly aware of this correlation, and he does try to avoid pushing himself too far sometimes, but he also has a habit of throwing caution to the wind. I don't know what the world of Sword Art Online was like, but it's highly probable that Sora would have had to exert himself repeatedly if he had been trapped there. I _do_ agree that he would have ensured the survival of his sister, but the ordeal would have been massively detrimental to his health. If the game itself didn't kill him, his own over-exertions probably would have.” Midori looks concerned by this.

“Is he going to be okay then? I mean, given that this is supposed to be the most challenging game of all time, and given his condition, is he really going to be able to last much longer?” Shiro thinks for a moment before answering.

“At this juncture, it's difficult for me to be certain. For the time being, he's able to hold back on his true skill level, and survive at only a fraction of his best. The longer he can do that for, the better. He can handle migraines and disorientation easily, but anything more than that becomes burdensome. Ultimately it will come down to the rest of the team. They need to improve their own skills, and work their way closer to Sora's level. If they can become strong enough, they can delay his need to go all-out. After all, it's only when Sora stops holding back that he _really_ suffers. That's the day we have to watch out for. The day Sora gives it everything he's got, could be the day that we lose him.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**April 3rd 2030 – 1152 JST**

“Please tell me we're almost there!” Sora looks at Klein incredulously.

“Are you kidding me? We camped out at the halfway point last night. Right now I'd say we've still got another ninety-four kilometres to go. At our current pace, we ought to make it to the Evergreen Death in three more days. So suck it up and stop thinking about how far we've still got to go. That'll just make the journey feel even longer. Think about how far we've come instead. Considering we did that in about four days, I'd say we've made great progress.” Sinon smiles at Sora.

“That's a good suggestion. And you're right. I've observed this myself, whenever I make a journey somewhere for the first time. It always feels so long because I'm wondering if I'm nearly there. Then the next time I make that journey, it feels so much shorter. I know how far I've come, and what remains, and the journey passes so much quicker because of that.” Kirito looks intrigued by this.

“Huh. I've never really noticed that before. I tend to be too focused on what I'm doing, but you might have a point. Still, you two seem to be taking this all in your stride.” Sora answers readily.

“Well, that's because Sinon and I are both higher level than the rest of you. We have more points in our Fortitude stats than you do. Since we're moving avatars, not our physical bodies, we wouldn't normally experience fatigue, if not for the fact that games have a way of simulating that. As we walk, the game simulates sensations of exhaustion in line with our stats, races, classes and equipment, amongst other variables. It takes all of these things into consideration before tricking our minds into thinking we're being worn out. If you bear that in mind, you'll find that you don't tire out as easily. It's not a solution, but it will delay the fatigue by a little bit. Even then, a little bit is better than not at all.” Suguha lets out a low whistle.

“I never even considered that before. I guess Persia was right about you being a walking encyclopedia then.” Sora tilts his head to one side.

“Well, I guess she _would_ say that, given how many times I've had to lecture her. She can be a slow learner at times, and she sometimes struggles to retain information. Still, I guess I can't argue with her analysis. Is there something on your mind then?” Suguha nods.

“Actually yeah. I was wondering if there was some kind of shortcut for levelling up our skills. I'm not afraid of hard work, but in this situation we're facing, every shortcut should at least be explored, if not exploited as well. Mixing magic into my Sword Skills is allowing me to keep up with you, for now, but once you start doing the same, I'll be left in your dust again. If I could raise my Sword Level faster, I might be able to avoid being left so far behind.” Sora thinks about this for a moment.

“The fastest way to increase your Sword Level, and indeed every weapon level, is to use said weapon in unusual ways. You remember the Goblin caves? When I wielded the Sheep-biter like a Rapier? That's the kind of thing I'm talking about. A longsword is not a thrusting weapon, it's designed for heavier slashes. But, I used it as a Rapier. Doing that raised my Sword Level faster than it normally would have if I'd used the sword properly. Likewise, if you slash with a Rapier rather than thrust, your Sword Level will increase quicker too. Think of any way in which your weapon shouldn't be used in combat, and use it that way. Just be careful not to do it in tough battles. Your life is more important than your level, so only experiment against weaker mobs that you know you can beat.” Sinon raises an eyebrow.

“So _that's_ why you were doing that. I always wondered about it, but I never got around to asking you.” Sora smiles.

“And now you don't have to. Since we're at it, are there any other questions? It'll help take your mind off of walking after all.” Kirito jumps in on the next one.

“What about defences against Psychic monsters? Persia mentioned that you would know ways to fight against them. I've got some memories I'd rather not have being used against me.” Sora takes longer to think about this before answering.

“Hm. That's a tricky one. These Truth Rings we have only protect us from Telepathic monsters who would seek to masquerade as someone we know and care about. There are other ways they can use our thoughts and memories to hurt us though, including using monsters we've fought in the past. I'm guessing none of you would want to face this Skull Reaper you told me about, even the illusion of one. In the short term, raising Wisdom, Intelligence and Perception would increase your in-game defences to Telepathic monsters, but that's only a stopgap at best. Being able to differentiate between illusion and reality is tricky, but there are some things to look out for, such as the way the illusion behaves. Even when pulled from your memories, mistakes can be made. You can remember something incorrectly, and then when an illusion is used against you, your memory can be jogged to remind you of how things actually were. So keep an eye out for monsters that move strangely. Some Telepathic monsters can make mistakes with their illusions as well, like trying to manifest a large illusion in a narrow space. Keep an eye out for illusions that seem to phase through solid objects as well then. The best defence though, is also the toughest one. That is to deliberately think about things incorrectly. Basically, you need to actively remember something wrongly. It's rare that a Telepathic monster will look deeply into your mind. Doing so requires time and effort, and leaves the monster vulnerable. The higher your defences are, the longer that monster will be vulnerable for. Most times, they will only scan the surface, so they're unlikely to realise you're deceiving them until it's too late. One last suggestion, though I have yet to test it out, is to use sound and light. That's all illusions are, really. Manifestations of sound and light that mimic something from your memory. Signal Spells are potentially the most effective. Like I say though, I have yet to test it out. There might be illusions that are more than just sound and light themselves. Off the bat, I can think of the possibility of projecting an illusion directly at your mind, so a Signal Spell won't work on that.” Cassandra speaks sceptically.

“You didn't use any of these methods against that Succubus though, did you?” Sinon glares venomously at Cassandra and snarls angrily, but Sora responds first, his voice edged with sorrow.

“Have you ever lost someone who was so dear to you that you would even attempt suicide in order to be reunited with them?” Sinon looks at Sora sadly, as do Agil, Suguha and Yui. Kirito, Klein and Asuna look at Cassandra in mild shock. Cassandra is silent, unable to answer, so Sora speaks again.

“I thought not. That's why you don't understand. Until you've gone through the same things that I have, you will never be able to understand why I was easy prey for that Succubus. You have no idea how desperate I am to see Akatsuki again, even just once. I could really use her guidance, her support, and her strength to get me through this crisis, but I will never have that again, thanks to Akihiko Kayaba. I can only hope that what I'm doing will be enough, that it's the right course of action.” A gloomy silence falls over the group, and once more Sinon withdraws into her mind. _Once again, I get a glimpse into Sora's past, and into his true self as well. Sora once tried to kill himself, in order to see his sister again and be with her once more. On the one hand, this doesn't surprise me. I've gotten to know how much she meant to Sora, and how desperate he is to see her again. I understand how much her passing hurt him. On the other hand, I_ am _surprised to hear that he attempted suicide. He was a child at the time. A child, who made the decision to end his own life. That only goes to emphasise just how devastated Sora had been. He deemed his life to be not worth living. He tried to die by his own hands, and evidently he failed. I'm sure that hurt him too. I understand all of that, and as a result I'm conflicted, between surprise and expectance. I am severely pissed off with Cassandra for what she just did though. I've got a burning desire to fill her full of arrows after the way she brought up the Succubus incident so bluntly. What is her deal anyway? Why does she keep trying to pick a fight with Sora? What did he ever do to her?_ Sora holds out his left arm, stopping Sinon in her tracks. The rest come to a standstill as well. About fifty metres ahead of them is a single black object jutting up from the centre of the road. The object appears to be a spike thirty centimetres tall, and about ten centimetres in diameter at the base. Sinon looks at the spike suspiciously.

“What is that?” Sora shakes his head.

“I don't know. I'm not close enough to run a perception check on it. I could try using a Scanning Spell, but I doubt I'd get a clear result. My instincts tell me that it could cause problems. I need to get closer in order to examine it though, so wait here while I do.” Sinon starts at this.

“Wh-What? You can't go alone! It's too dangerous!” Sora frowns.

“We don't know that yet. It's not a monster, I'm sure of that. It's probably some kind of magical artefact. If it tries to attack me, I'll destroy it. Don't forget, I'm wearing Spell-breaker Gloves. I can destroy spells before they even activate. Bear in mind that I'm also Counterpoint. It's safe to say that I have the best reflexes in this group. No matter what happens, I'll be alright. Even more so knowing that the rest of you aren't close enough to be hurt by it.” Sinon has no counter-argument to this. As Sora steps forwards, Kirito calls after him.

“Be careful, Nebula. You'd better not be bragging either.” Sora glances back.

“Of course not. Pride comes before a fall, and I like to avoid falling wherever possible. So keep everyone safe until I figure this little mystery out. I'm sure the Black Swordsman of New Aincrad can handle that, right?” Sora continues walking, with Cassandra looking at the spike uneasily. _What_ is _that? There shouldn't be anything like it on this road. I know that much at least. Even in the post-Beta updates, there was nothing about a black spike in the road to the Evergreen Death. So the only thing left must be-_ Cassandra's thoughts are interrupted when a magic circle appears around the spike, stretching out to just behind Sora. A barrier appears at the border of the magic circle, trapping Sora within it, alone with the spike. Sinon rushes towards the barrier, firing an arrow at it as she runs. The arrow shatters upon impact, and a small notification appears: Indestructible Object. Sinon pounds on the barrier, each time triggering the appearance of the Indestructible Object notification.

“Nebula...” Sora speaks calmly, though the barrier seems to muffle his voice a little.

“Stay calm, and keep your distance. There's no guarantee that you guys are safe outside the barrier. Whatever is happening in here, I'll handle it. This must be some kind of Scripted Event. I never heard anything like this though, so there's only one explanation: it's a new Event that the system created automatically. This game has that capacity, so there'll be more Events like this to face in the future. Keep the others safe, while I handle this... whatever _this_ turns out to be.” The magic circle glows with a bright white light, and Sora's wings disappear. Before he can react to this; the ground quakes violently, fissures erupting outwards from the spike, like splintered glass. The black spike seems to sink for a moment, and then the ground around it explodes skywards, impacting on the inside of the barrier before raining down. Sora darts around to avoid the falling debris, drawing a pair of identical leaf-bladed short-swords with brass-coloured hilts. As the detritus bombardment comes to an end, a figure begins to rise up from under the ground. Sora looks at this towering monstrosity with a mixture of horror and disbelief. _I was wrong. It_ is _a monster after all. A Titan of some kind. That spike was just a part of the Titan's helmet. All of this armour... how am I going to break through so much? Every single centimetre is covered in thick plates. I see no weaknesses that I can exploit. Does that mean I have to force one into existence? Is that even going to be possible?_ The Titan finishes rising up. It towers above Sora, standing thirty metres tall. Its entire body is covered in thick black plates, and in its right hand; it wields a Claymore of equal height, and with a blade one metre wide at the hilt. The blade is shining silver and serrated, the hilt is pitch black and unadorned. Six health bars appear, and above that is the monster's name and level. _Homunculus Titan, Level 45. It's more than double my level. Then again, so was Elric. I beat him, I can beat this too. I have to. I have to defeat this!_ Sora charges straight at the Titan, even as it swings its colossal sword one-handedly. As the blade comes down, sweeping low over the ground, Sora leaps onto it, and continues sprinting. He races up the Titan's arm to its shoulder, and begins slashing at the helmet, unleashing a forty-four hit Sword Skill that periodically generates bursts of bright blue-white flames. As soon as the Sword Skill ends, Sora has to evade, leaping over the Titan's helmet in order to avoid being grabbed. He lands on the opposite shoulder and slashes again, this time with both swords glowing silver. Upon impacting the Titan's helmet, a high-pitched screech erupts from the swords. Several chunks of the helmet disintegrate, and Sora thrusts for the opening. His instincts scream at him to jump off and he does so, just a fraction of a second before narrow spikes explode outwards from the Titan's armour. Every single plate shudders and squirms, and small fragments from each move up to the helmet, patching up the opening that Sora had created. _Damn! I should have known it wouldn't be so simple. Every time I break open the armour, it will repair itself. To a degree anyway. It looks like it's redistributing material around. It's not like it's regenerating. Even so, I'm going to have to break off a lot of armour before I can get a decent opening to stay long enough for me to hit it. I can't spend too much time standing on that thing either. Its armour has protection against that. Thirty seconds, and then the spikes skewer me. The only advantage I have is that this Titan is slow, but at the same time: I can't fly. I can evade for now, but this battle is going to wear me down. This thing is crazy strong. One good hit could erase a chunk of my health. One_ really _good hit will kill me_. The Titan bears down on Sora, throwing a heavy punch wildly. Sora darts forwards before leaping high, seeking to throw the Titan off-balance and make it trip over itself. As the Titan slams its fist into the ground and starts tumbling, Sora realises his error. The Titan spins upon its fist, swinging a leg through the air to kick Sora out of it. Sora feels four of his ribs break upon impact, before getting flung backwards into the barrier, losing his grip on his swords. He slides down the barrier to the ground, but the pain makes it difficult to for him to breathe, let alone stand.

“Nebula!” The concern in Sinon's voice causes Sora to flinch as he reaches for his swords, and doubt creeps into his heart. Yui sees the flinch, and she can sense the change in Sora's emotions. She turns to Sinon with an expression of urgency.

“Sinon! You have to stop that! Your fear and anxiety is impacting on Nebula. He needs you to motivate him and keep his own fears and doubts in check. If you want him to survive, you need to believe in him, and lend him your strength!” Sinon looks doubtful for a moment, then nods resolutely. She turns back to the barrier, trusting in Yui's words even as the Titan raises its Claymore.

“Are you giving up, Nebula? You promised Luna that we would both make it back to her alive. If you meant that, then get up! I swear, if you break your promise to our daughter, I'll never forgive you!” As the Titan brings down its Claymore, Sora slashes upwards viciously. The two swords clash with a shower of sparks. The group watches incredulously as the Titan is thrown off-balance by the parry. Sora vanishes on the spot as he explodes forwards, and slashes at the Titan's left leg with enough force to shatter much of the plating around its calf and ankle, as well as his two swords. Sora quickly thrusts for the exposed Achilles Tendon with a knife gripped by his tail, before jumping away from the narrow spikes that lance outwards. Two more short-swords appear in Sora's hands, both with pale blue serrated blades, and he adopts a defensive stance. _She's right. I need to uphold my promise to Luna. I've always considered myself to be a man of my word. Always. Though my promise to Sachi was broken by circumstances I could not foresee, I will be damned if I let my promise to my daughter be broken by a walking pile of scrap metal. I need to loosen the chains I've placed upon myself. Better to expose my true identity than to break my promise. Sinon, Luna, Sachi... for the three of you, I swear I will survive._ The Titan swings its Claymore again, aiming to cut Sora in half from at the hip. Sora reverses his grip on his right-hand sword and strikes the Claymore, stopping it dead five centimetres from his right hip, earning a gasp from his audience.

“You're weak, tin man. You're no match for me.” Sora disengages with a silver flash that throws the Claymore overhead, before racing forwards. He spits two fireballs at the Titan's right knee before leaping upwards to slash it with both swords. The second sword flashes pale blue upon impact, and frost coats the Titan's right knee, cracking the armour plate but not breaking it apart. He dodges and weaves as the Titan tries to punch and stomp him, before leaping up at the right knee to deliver a powerful kick that shatters a hole into the plates, measuring about seven centimetres at the widest point and four centimetres at the longest. As Sora spins through the air, he thrusts with his left hand, casting the Thunder-burst Spell without incantation to rob the Titan of a sliver of health. Once again the spikes explode outwards defensively, but Sora is well out of their range. While the Titan's armour redistributes its remaining material, Sora goes straight back on the offensive, slashing furiously and periodically spitting fireballs. As Sora makes another run, the spikes lance outwards. Sora sustains a number of minor cuts and scratches that burn, and he hops back, circling the Titan and waiting for its armour to finish redistribution. _So I can't attack it while it's patching up the armour. The spikes come out randomly during that time. If I had been going in for a thrust, I would have been impaled. I'll have to use those moments to try and catch my breath, and plan out my next sequence of attacks_. The Titan slashes again, sweeping the Claymore low over the ground. Sora backflips over the blade, seeing the Titan pivot itself upon one hand to try and kick him out of the air again. Sora twists his body around before thrusting his right hand before himself. A strong blast of cold wind explodes from his hand, the force of it lifting Sora just above the Titan's leg as it swings past, and deep scratches appear in the armour from the Zephyr Blades. As the Titan tries to pivot itself again to pull off a follow-up attack, Sora thrusts with his right hand again.

“Cantis!” A white bolt rockets from his hand, striking the Titan roughly where its left ear should be and detonating with a cacophonous blast, like a rifle shot being amplified by a loudspeaker. The Titan stumbles and falls, curling up slightly in pain. Sora seizes the opportunity to charge at his opponent, almost racing against a cluster of five fireballs that hammer the chest plate of the Titan. Sora slashes at the chest plate four times before leaping skywards. He twists himself around with a vicious slash of his left-hand sword, flinging a trio of jagged icicles at the Titan's chest. A sizeable hole breaks open in the plating, and as he lands; Sora throws both of his swords at the opening. Both swords plunge in deeply, and as Sora thrusts his hands, they seem to dig in deeper still, before shattering inexplicably. The Titan holds its Claymore across the gap in its armour, protecting the vulnerability from attack. A new pair of swords appear in Sora's hands, this time being one-hand longswords with pulsating crimson blades. Sora takes up a defensive stance once more, and examines the Titan's health bars, noticing bitterly that only a fifth of the topmost health bar is empty. _This is going to be a long and arduous battle. A war of attrition. I've broken four of my eighty swords. If I'm not careful, I'll run out of swords before I even take it below one-third health. I need to change my approach once again then. I hate drawn-out battles, but I have no other choice. If I rush this, I will die. I can't die yet. I have promises to uphold, and questions that need answering. I have to kill this tin can in order to do that, which I can't do if I use my swords so wastefully. A slow, gruelling battle. I just hope my body can handle that. The 100th Floor of Aincrad knocked me out for three days. I can't afford to have that happen again here. I have to get through this as quickly as I can without over-exerting myself. Now I see that my own chains are starting to strangle me, but this is the only way._

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**April 3rd 2030 – 1217 JST**

The QZR Studios staff and its visitors can only watch in horror as Sora fights alone against the Homunculus Titan, breaking a pair of swords in his efforts to smash apart the armour around the Titan's left hip. He succeeds in landing a quick stab into the Titan's hip, before retreating from the armour's built-in defence. He equips a pair of flame-bladed longswords while waiting for the armour to finish redistributing itself to patch the opening. Midori turns to Hiro, seeking answers.

“Was this Laughing Coffin's doing? Are they making another attempt to eliminate Virtual Demon?” Hiro shakes his head uncertainly.

“So far we've found no evidence of any kind of tampering. It looks like this battle is something that the game itself set up. Destiny's Calling, just like Alfheim Online, has the ability to generate quests and Scripted Events on its own, without input from the studio. From what I've observed of this event, it appears only as though the game created it. This battle only seems to be a case of bad luck, that it ended up spawning a monster at the high end of its parameters to challenge Sora. The game's Adaptive AI protocols may have influenced the event to some degree, seeking to challenge Sora more so than it would with any other player.” Rika looks surprised by this.

“So this battle is just random chance and bad luck? Sora was just unlucky to be challenged by a monster like this due to his skills and levels? I don't know why, but something about that feels wrong to me. It feels like, even with those factors in mind, it shouldn't be _quite_ like this.” Kathy nods in agreement.

“I think you're right about that. This feels a little _too_ coincidental. To our knowledge, this is the first such event to be created by the game engine. So what are the odds that it would target Sora specifically? What are the odds that it would generate a monster at the highest end of its parameters? More importantly: what are the odds that it would create a monster that has the best resistance to his character build and fighting style? When I consider all of these points, the odds just seem too small for this to happen randomly. I could accept a lower level Homunculus of a non-titanic nature, but _this_? Sora hasn't demonstrated his full capabilities, so I can't see why the system would challenge him so extensively without knowing the precise level of his abilities beforehand. That seems like overkill, even for a game designed to be so difficult. Even if the entire Rescue Team were assisting him, I think the odds would still be against them. Nothing about this adds up. There _has_ to be an error we've overlooked. Either a bug in the coding, or else tampering from Laughing Coffin or Reality Bytes.” A young woman with bright pink hair in a punk-ish style, wearing headphones around her neck, responds to Kathy's last statement.

“We can rule out Reality Bytes in this incident. While it's true they've reconnected their AIT to the network, they're not paying any attention to the Rescue Team right now. They've been focused on Kraler lately. In fact, they've actually been helping us protect the town from monsters. According to the programming, the game is supposed to push players to progress through, stopping them from staying in one place for too long. It's been trying to send fairly high level monsters to attack any party that has yet to challenge the Tower of Kraler, as a means of pushing them on. We've been intercepting those monsters, making sure they don't reach town. Reality Bytes have been doing that too. It looks like they've realized the death toll has climbed too high, and now they're protecting the hostages rather than hurting them. Of course, I'm not ruling out an attempt at inducing Stockholm Syndrome in the hostages, but either way, they're not responsible for this incident.” Midori addresses the girl.

“And what about Laughing Coffin? Are we absolutely _sure_ they're not involved either.” The girl is silent for a moment.

“I'm not convinced that they're innocent in this. I've been looking at the coding for auto-generated quests, and this one raises a few flags with me. There _are_ parameters to the coding that can be edited by programmers, or by hackers. Parameters that include the type of monster that spawns, and its level range. There's also a parameter for the level range of the players it can target. I'm suspecting that Laughing Coffin used these parameters to target Sora specifically.” Director Shiraishi looks confused for a moment.

“I'd forgotten about those parameters. How did you find them?” The girl shrugs.

“I almost didn't, but the game is in the process of generating another quest at random, over in the Gorge of Helios region. I compared the coding of the two, and found a few discrepancies. The new quest in the Gorge of Helios has the same adjustable parameters, but these are open for editing. This Homunculus Titan however, it's got locked parameters. The ones that I just mentioned, they've all been locked, and can't be edited.” Shiraishi looks dismayed.

“Then that settles it. None of the adjustable parameters are supposed to be locked. They're supposed to be open to editing, so that either the system or the programmers can adjust them if the quest is too easy or too hard. This studio decided unanimously to keep those parameters unlocked until the quest had been cleared five times, at which point we would decide whether to edit the parameters or to lock them. No quests should have locked parameters on a first run. This _must_ be Laughing Coffin then. They must have adjusted the parameters to spawn in a monster at the high end of its range, targetting a player at, say, Level 20 or higher. Since Sora is the only one, he would be the only target. There's no means of deciding the exact monster that will spawn, but there are parameters for its size and resistances. Laughing Coffin must have edited those as well to ensure Sora was faced with a monster he would have the most difficulty dealing with.” Hiro turns to the pink-haired hacker.

“Is there anything your team can do about this? We need Virtual Demon alive after all.” The girl shakes her head sadly.

“We've been at it since the thing spawned in, but there's one problem here: an algorithm is protecting the monster from all attempts to modify or delete it. This algorithm... to say that it's hardcore would be an understatement. Honestly, we've got a better chance of removing the logout block algorithm than this one. I can think of only two hackers who could handle it, and one is with Reality Bytes. The other is a hacker by the alias of Valkyrie, but I haven't been able to get in touch with them.” Hiro frowns.

“Valkyrie? I've seen Reality Bytes talking about someone by that name. He works with them, from what I've monitored.” The pink-haired hacker raises an eyebrow.

“That's impossible! Valkyrie is strongly opposed to Reality Bytes' very existence, about as much so as Virtual Demon is. Valkyrie has a brother using a Medicuboid rig. To join Reality Bytes would be like turning against his own family. Either Reality Bytes is talking about someone copying that name, or else they've been deceived by Valkyrie. At any rate though, without him or Pleiades, this algorithm won't be broken any time soon. I'm sorry, but Virtual Demon is on his own for this battle.” Hiro looks crestfallen.

“Then it's over. There's no way Sora could take on a Titan like that. Even if he went all out... he's just not built for defeating something like this.” Shiro speaks up.

“It's too early to give up on Sora.” All eyes turn to Shiro, and Midori speaks with a trace of hope.

“What do you mean? Are you trying to say that Sora can win this?” Shiro points to the screen, as Sora evades seven consecutive slashes.

“There's a few things about this battle that seem odd to me. I'm hoping you all can shed a little light. It's my understanding that this Titan has superior physical defence, right? But what about defence against magic? In games, that's usually a common trade-off. High physical defence in exchange for low magical defence, or else high magical defence in exchange for low physical defence, right?” Shiraishi nods.

“That's right. The Homunculus Titan has one of the highest defence stats in the game, so the best option would be to use magic, particularly lightning and fire elements.” Shiro nods.

“And yet Sora hasn't used a single spell in nearly twenty minutes. On top of that, I noticed he had some kind of special skill that breaks armour quite easily. Then there's the fact that he's evading attacks rather than parrying them. I'm assuming that the skill and parrying both have a trade-off that breaks his weapons faster, right?” Shiraishi nods again, but his confusion only seems to increase.

“That's right as well. The Resonance Burst skill has an 80% chance of breaking the targeted weapon or armour unit, but has a very high durability cost as well. Parrying is a highly effective technique for defending against attacks, and gives an opportunity to counter-attack, but again there's a high durability cost to this.” Shiro spells out his theory.

“Then that explains Sora's change in battle strategy. To begin with, he would strike with high speed and great strength, seeking to deal significant damage, but he lost swords in doing so. He doesn't have an unlimited supply of those, and he knows that. The opening attacks were just Sora's way of sizing up his opponent, getting a clear scope of its defences and its difficulty. Now he knows these things, he has changed his approach. He's making the durability on his swords last as long as possible, so that he can damage as much of the Titan's armour as he can. Even though Sora has spells, he is most dangerous with his swords. He has to remove the Titan's armour if he is to deal serious damage to it and end this battle quickly. Even so, it's a protracted battle. Sora doesn't have the luxury of being reckless, and he doesn't have enough swords to chain off this Resonance Burst skill of his.” Shiraishi is still uncertain about Shiro's theory.

“Even if I accept that, why doesn't he use more spells? He unlocked Mana Regeneration at Level 20, so he can regain MP and use spells over and over again, given the right timing. Since the Titan's weakest to magic, it would make more sense to use spells rather than swords.” Shiro shakes his head.

“I've taken a look at Sora's Mana Regeneration, and it's very low right now. It would take thirty seconds just to regenerate the MP for even his lowest costing spell. His skills require MP to use as well, and he can use those more accurately and more readily. If Sora is too careless with magic, he'll back himself into a corner and leave himself at a critical disadvantage. I believe he's waiting for the right time to use magic. He's focusing on breaking the armour and leaving weak spots open permanently. The armour would naturally take the brunt of any spells after all. So Sora is removing that obstacle. Once he has the right opening, he'll strike hard with spells, seeking to wipe out much of that Titan's health as quickly as possible. Until then, he has to play the waiting game.” Midori looks concerned by this.

“Is he going to be okay doing that? With his condition I mean. You said yourself that whenever he exerts himself, he pays a hefty price for it. Will his body be able to hold out on such a lengthy battle?” Shiro watches as Sora exploits an opening at the Titan's right shoulder to empty out its first health bar.

“From what I've heard, and based on what I'm saying here, I think I can safely conclude he isn't going all out. Compared to the skill he displayed against those three Dragons, this is somewhat lacking. Sora's still holding back on his true potential. As long as he can do that, he should be fine. The battle will still take a toll, but nothing like the 100th Floor of New Aincrad. Don't get me wrong, he's still pushing himself in terms of agility and evasiveness, but even then he's not at his peak. As long as he doesn't have to push himself much harder than this, he should escape the battle with nothing worse than a migraine.” Shiraishi dashes the hope that was starting to build up in the room.

“He's going to have to hold back less soon enough. That Titan is only slow right now because of the armour. The more armour it loses, the faster it will get. Once the armour drops below 50% we'll see the difference as plain as day. Once it drops to 10% armour, its speed will be equal to Elven Scouts, or a racehorse. Its attack patterns are due to change twice in this battle, and once it reaches its final health bar, it will gain a boost to its strength as well. Sora may well have to go all out in order to survive the last stretch of the battle. Assuming he can even live long enough to make it that far.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**April 3rd 2030 – 1408 JST**

While the Homunculus Titan redistributes its armour to protect its vital points, Sora analyses the situation as it stands. _Things aren't looking too great right now. I'm running low on swords, and that Titan still has a lot of armour. There are a few exposed areas that are no longer being protected, but they're hard to reach and won't result in significant injury. I've managed to drop it to around half health, but this battle is not progressing as well as I'd hoped. I've got fifteen pairs of swords left, and two knives for my tail. If I can't clear its weak points soon, I'm going to run out of weapons. Fighting this thing unarmed is suicide. I can only hope that this next pair of swords will shift the battle in my favour. Lancinating Masterwork Wounding Adamantine Sabres of Strength +15. High critical probability, so I should poison it a lot, but despite the Strength modifier they're not all that powerful. They were amongst my earlier creations, when I could only manage good durability at the cost of damage range. I'm going to have to rely on that durability, and upon the poison ticks, to try and inch my way closer to victory._ Sora is ripped from his own thoughts when the Titan's Claymore glows blood red, and it charges forwards with a ferocious slash. He somersaults over the blade before cartwheeling over the sweeping kick that follows. The Titan carries on with its attack sequence, using momentum to fuel a devastating chain of slashes and sweeping blows, forcing Sora to jump over or duck under each strike. _I hate this new attack pattern! I can't do anything but evade!_ The Titan strikes hard with a rolling kick, pressing its advantage against Sora to the limit. Sora jumps up to footstool from one of the Titan's legs, but as his foot touches the armour, its spikes erupt outwards again. _Shit!_ Sora contorts his body to try and evade the worst of the lancing, but still gets pierced along his right side and lower back, the pain throwing off his landing. The Titan slashes again with the Claymore, bringing the sword in fast against its unbalanced target. _Block it!_ Sora makes a desperate swing with his right-hand sword, its blade glowing gold as he tries to counter the imminent attack. The two blades collide with an explosion of sparks and a piercing screech of steel. Sora is stunned by the sight of the crimson ripple that races from the point of impact along the Claymore, and across the Titan's body. Much of the armour cracks, and several plates break entirely. The helmet of the Titan splits apart as well. Sora's shock increases when he sees that the Titan has lost nearly half of its remaining health. _What the Hell? Parrying has never had this effect before. It must have something to do with the skill the Titan was using. I never knew. I could have ended this battle already if I'd thought to try that sooner_. The Titan regains its footing with an angry snarl. As it tries to redistribute its armour around, more pieces seem to fall away completely and disintegrate. Only the chest-plate remains fully intact, with all other armour destroyed or else sacrificed to fortify the chest-plate. The ground beneath the Titan's feet cracks violently as it drops into a crouch like an Olympic sprinter awaiting the start of a race, before exploding forwards with shocking speed. _Holy shit!_ Sora barely has time to leap over the Claymore as it screeches across the ground, and the gale force winds whipped up in the sword's wake causes Sora to tumble through the air. _Idiot! Of course the armour weighed it down! Why didn't I see that coming?!_ As the Titan leaps forwards, Sora makes predictions about its attack pattern and acts accordingly. He darts forwards and dives into a roll, just in time to avoid being crushed by the Titan. He leaps upwards and twists through the air, slashing twice at the leg that sweeps just beneath him. Sora's left-hand sword flashes green as it poisons the Titan. Sora somersaults before kicking off from the Titan's other foot, already pulling off his next slash against the Titan's left hand as it tries to punch Sora out of the air. As Sora lands, he barely has time to counter before the Titan makes a powerful slash, but rather than being unbalanced, the Titan uses the counter to add power to another slash, this time swinging with both hands. With no time to counter, Sora can only block the slash, but the force behind the attack sends him flying. The Titan charges Sora only a fraction of a second after lifting him off the ground, leaving Sora in a dire position. _Take the chains off!_ At the last possible moment, Sora spins violently in the air, bringing his tail around to thrust powerfully at the Claymore, pushing it down and lifting Sora up to evade the worst of the attack, though he still takes considerable damage. The Titan presses its advantage, thrusting and slashing at Sora viciously in an effort to prevent him from reaching the ground. Sora counters each attack with precision thrusts of his own, always hitting the edge or the tip of the Claymore consistently, robbing it of force which Sora uses to push himself away from serious injury. After the seventh consecutive block shatters Sora's right-hand sword, the Titan slashes upwards mightily. Sora thrusts at the edge of the sword, and though he loses his other Sabre in the gambit, he lifts himself clear of the Claymore, sustaining only a very light scratch along his spine that robs him of a single hit point. The Titan follows up immediately with a decisive thrust, realising that Sora is up against the barrier of their battlefield. Sora kicks against the barrier while thrusting in return, even while the replacement sword is still materialising. The Claymore is brought to an abrupt halt, held at the point by an exceptionally narrow Rapier, while a Wakizashi with a marbled blue and silver blade rests inverted in Sora's left hand. Even the Titan seems surprised by the sight of Sora, seemingly defying physics by holding off the Claymore immovably with such a narrow Rapier. Zephyr Blades assault the Titan, causing it to stumble backwards and allowing Sora to break free. Jagged spears of ice erupt from the ground at the Titan's feet, further forcing it back and allowing Sora to make his next move. He races forwards and leaps at the Titan's chest, before unleashing Blackjack's Railgun at point blank range. The final blow of the Sword Skill produces deep cracks in the chest-plate, and the supersonic blast throws the Titan back several metres. Sora takes the opportunity to drink two potions simultaneously. The Titan is already bearing down upon him again as he discards the empty potion bottles, swinging for Sora's left hip. Sora swings to counter with his Wakizashi, but as the two blades meet; time seems to slow down for Sora, and he sees the blade of the Wakizashi beginning to fracture. _After one hit?!_ He throws himself into a front flip, swinging his legs above himself and almost headbutting the Claymore in the process. As Sora starts to right himself, he sees that the Titan's health has dropped to its final bar. _A power boost. Damn!_ As the Titan tries to slap Sora down with a backhand strike, Sora thrusts with the Rapier. Once again, the sword shatters in just one hit, and the Titan's attack lands with bone jarring force that causes Sora to bounce off of the ground. He tries to block the Titan's next slash with both of his swords as they manifest, but the Claymore shatters them even before they finish materialising. A fatal injury is avoided, but the force still swats Sora aside like a fly. He barely has a chance to touch the ground before having to roll himself sideways through the air, over the Claymore. As soon as he touches the ground again, Sora races forwards with accelerated speed, getting too close to the Titan to be hit with the Claymore. Sora slashes the Titan's calves with his newly manifested, black-bladed short-swords as he passes, before springing straight upwards. Thrusting his swords again and again, Sora scales the Titan's back rapidly using only his swords thrusts to pull himself up, before coming to the back of the Titan's neck. He makes a scissoring slash, aiming to decapitate the Titan, but he knows before the swords even penetrate that the lacerations won't be deep enough. The Titan grabs Sora out of the air and immediately starts to squeeze, shattering Sora's swords. The next pair materialise, and Sora uses those to cut himself free from the Titan's grasp. As he falls, Sora thrusts both hands out before him.

“Cantis!” A white bolt rockets from each hand, and both converge on the Titan's left eye, blasting it out of existence with a deafening blast. Sora lands and drinks another potion to restore his health. As soon as it fills up, most of the health then vanishes, as the Claymore slices through Sora's waist, only narrowly avoiding cutting him in half. The agony temporarily blinds Sora, too powerful for him to even cry out, but a flame of resolve and anger keep him from collapsing. As the Titan swings again, Sora sacrifices both of his swords to parry the attack and send the Claymore flying upwards. A blade of ice severs each of the Titan's Achilles tendons, while a fist of air slams into the Titan's stomach, and another into the back of its head, bringing it down to its hands and knees. Sora crushes a small green crystal in his right hand, restoring a small portion of his health, before catching the falling Claymore. The Titan looks up into Sora's blood red eyes, just as the Hellborne swings the Claymore two-handedly. The blade passes all the way through the Titan's left temple, left eye socket, right eye socket, and out through the right temple. The top of the Titan's head drops to the ground and shatters out of existence. The rest of the Titan also disintegrates, and the barrier falls away, allowing Sinon to race forwards and catch Sora as he sways.

“I've got you!” Yui darts in front of Sora and raises her wand, cerulean light radiating from it to envelop Sora's body.

“Lower him to the ground, gently. It will help with the after-effects of his adrenaline rush. I'll work on lowering his pulse and bringing his breathing back under control.” Suguha and Agil appear by Sora's side, with Suguha appearing almost as worried as Sinon does.

“Is he going to be okay?” Yui sounds more confident than she feels.

“That's what we're working to ensure. Nebula pushed himself far more than he did against the Death Jaw Brothers. He had no other choice but to do that. As a result, his pulse is dangerously high, and he's hyperventilating. He could lose consciousness at any moment, but if Sinon and I can calm him down, then he should be okay. Right now is the worst part. The immediate crash after the adrenaline wears off is going to hit him hard, but if he can make it through that then he'll recover well.” Just as she did in the Tower of Kraler, Sinon places her hands on Sora's forehead and over his heart, feeling his hammering pulse for herself.

“You're going to be okay. Just focus on your breathing, and push everything else out. Try to feel my rhythm, and match yours to it. Don't dread the end of the adrenaline rush. I've got you, so you'll be just fine.” Sora nods limply, but he has no strength beyond that. _I'll be okay. I survived the battle, and even though I told myself to take the chains off, I still held back a little. I don't think I'll lose consciousness, but this is going to suck more than the Tower. We're not going to be able to push on any further today. The migraine that's about to strike will last until nightfall, possibly longer. Despite my Stamina level, I'm going to feel a huge degree of exhaustion. After that battle, there's no way that I won't. A Homunculus Titan... fuck you, Laughing Coffin. If you thought that would kill me, then you don't know who you're fucking with. My skills aren't the only reason I'm alive. After all, it's my resolve and my tenacity that let me carry on living five years beyond my predicted death._ Sora focuses all of his energy on slowing down his breathing, fighting against hyperventilation. After several minutes of forcing himself to breathe slowly and deeply, his pulse begins to drop as well. It is shortly after this that his adrenaline levels drop low enough for his heart to stop hammering in his chest, and that is when it hits him. A whirlwind of pain sweeps through his body, namely in his head, his ribs and his stomach. The agony causes Sora to thrash and struggle soundlessly, while Sinon holds him as steady as possible so that his spasms don't harm him. His vision quickly darkens, and Sora hangs on the verge of blacking out completely. Sound dulls and echoes, becoming an indistinct drone with pulsing throbs pounding at his eardrums. Time loses all meaning in the haze of darkness and agony. A surge of nausea overwhelms Sora as he feels himself and the world around him spin in opposite directions. His stomach clenches violently as he throws up, and he is dimly aware of small green signs bearing the words 'Censored Object' falling from his mouth. Sora's stomach clenches powerfully another seven times, each time bringing up more of these green signs, before the clenching finally stops. He clings to consciousness, but it is a desperate struggle. Aside from the slowly fading pain, Sora can only feel himself shaking and shivering numbly. His vision starts to drift back ever so slowly, but his hearing is less punctual about returning. By the time his hearing has restored to the point where he can distinguish words, he is aware that the sun has started to set. Sinon's voice comes across clearest.

“Are you going to be okay?” It takes Sora several attempts just to nod, let alone to speak.

“I... think. I... stayed awake... so... maybe. Time... will tell.” Cassandra watches Sora from a distance, her expression unreadable. _There can be no other explanation. Laughing Coffin created that Event to try and kill Nebula, but it failed. A Level 45 Homunculus Titan, against a Level 21 Hellborne Swordmage. To parry that Claymore, to break through all that armour, to stop a powered-up thrust with the point of a Rapier... there is only one player in the world capable of achieving something like that. The two are one and the same._

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**April 3rd 2030 – 1732 JST**

Vassago stares at the Rescue Team with a deeply sour expression. _Tenacious, beyond my expectations. Even if we try to exploit Virtual Demon's weaknesses, he will overcome them to achieve victory. This is going to be more challenging than I anticipated. The Virtual Demon is more than just a skilled gamer. Skill alone does not account for what I just witnessed. He is strong, and motivated by something of exceptional power. It doesn't matter what challenges we could throw at him, they will all fail. No matter what. That approach can only end in failure_. Locust looks up at Vassago.

“Should we try again? Finish him off while he's vulnerable?” Vassago shakes his head.

“No. That might work on an ordinary player, but against the Virtual Demon, it will only fail. There is more than skill at work here, so no matter what we try, he will defeat it. There is also a possibility that the hackers stationed with QZR Studios will interfere with another event like that one. We should re-think our strategy, and bide our time for the opportune moment. It will take something far more... diabolical, than a simple scripted event. The Virtual Demon is motivated, though by what I am uncertain. If we can eliminate the source of his motivation, then perhaps we will stand a better chance of defeating him. If we can remove the source of his strength, then he can be killed.” Locust gazes at the screen for a time, before pointing to Sinon.

“Could it be her then? This player has always remained close to the Virtual Demon. Without a shadow of a doubt she cares deeply about him. If we remove her-” Vassago interjects.

“There's no guarantee it will work. I don't doubt your assertion of her feelings, and it's highly probable that they are reciprocated, but that doesn't mean she is the source of his strength. Something doesn't feel right about that theory. Could the Virtual Demon's Kryptonite really be something so cliché? Or is there an even greater motivation within him. We should investigate the person behind the player. If we can learn about who the Virtual Demon really is, we can learn his strengths, his weaknesses, and how to use both of these against him. Until then, attacking him in-game is pointless. As long as he has his motivation, he will overcome every trial with his tenacious resistance.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**April 3rd 2030 – 1802 JST**

As Shiro re-enters the QZR Studios control room, Director Shiraishi turns to him with anxious expectance.

“How is he?” Shiro speaks flatly.

“Stable. It seems Dr Samson anticipated this might happen, so he was able to respond perfectly. Even so, Sora hasn't come out of this unscathed. Dr Samson reports that Sora is experiencing an unusually high number of palpitations, and his pulse rarely remains regular for long. He states that, if Sora keeps being forced to push himself so hard, he'll need to fit Sora with a pacemaker before long. His body isn't able to cope with the strain being placed on it so regularly. Even then, a pacemaker is just a stop-gap measure that will only buy a little more time. It isn't a solution to the problem.” Midori pale at this announcement.

“So... how long does he have? How much longer can he possibly hold on for?” Shiro shakes his head.

“We have no way of knowing. Even our best estimates would just be wild guesses. Don't forget that Sora's condition was supposed to reach the terminal stage five years ago. He's held on beyond that, driven most likely by his quest to learn the truth of his sister's death. Even so, we can't be sure that his quest alone will be sufficient to keep him alive in a game like Destiny's Calling. His condition has been steadily progressing towards its terminus, but it could advance suddenly at any moment. The only thing stopping that from happening seems to be Sora's own willpower. If something were to happen to shake that willpower, like another psychological breakdown, his deterioration could exacerbate. As it is, his recent breakdowns could be the reason for his current situation. That, and the battle against that Titan. He needs to be able to ease up off the throttle, to not have to push himself so hard. He definitely needs to stop trying to fight solo so much as well. Ultimately, there are too many factors to account for to estimate how long Sora has left. At this rate, he'll be lucky to make it to the summer, let alone to his eighteenth birthday. The Rescue Team needs to become so much stronger, and as soon as possible, if Sora is to have any chance of getting everyone out alive. The faster they strengthen themselves, the faster they can push through and reach Reality Bytes. Our only other hope would be if the Cyber Response Team can crack the logout blocking algorithm and set everyone free that way.” The girl with pink hair answers wearily.

“We're doing our best, believe me, but this algorithm is a one-of-a-kind. The more I look at it, the more I doubt that even Valkyrie could break it. Quickly I mean. We've had another problem crop up as well.” Shiraishi looks at her curiously.

“Another problem? What kind?” The girl sighs heavily.

“Ever since that Scripted Event ended, this studio has been the target of nearly five times as many cyber attacks as normal. The number of attacks prior to the event had actually dropped since Reality Bytes were focusing on helping to protect the trapped players, but now we're having to repel dozens of attacks every hour. The only explanation I can give is that this is the work of Laughing Coffin. My theory is that they've realised they can't kill Virtual Demon in game. Not easily anyway, so they're trying to interfere with our work and reduce the protection we can provide, most likely so that they can try again to kill Virtual Demon, as well as to make sure we don't release the hostages. Don't forget, the Laughing Coffin enjoy hunting people, and there are a lot of Red Players inside the game, including some who affiliate with Laughing Coffin. They're protecting their fellow murderers, keeping the prey trapped, and interfering with CRT as well. Unless Laughing Coffin can be shut down, there's not going to be much progress getting made on the algorithm. Even without interference, I'd say Virtual Demon's more likely to free everyone than we are.” 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**April 3rd 2030 – 2114 JST**

Suguha sighs heavily as she stares at Sora, who spins Durandal about himself as he tests his dexterity.

“Just when I thought I'd stand a chance of keeping up with you, you go and blast ahead seven levels. Though I'm surprised you only got to Level 28 from that fight.” Sora brings his sword-spinning to an abrupt halt, ending the song of steel that had been mesmerizing Klein in particular.

“From what I can tell, the exp requirements to level up increases quite dramatically from Level 25 onwards. I mean, even though I'm half way to Level 29, I still need ten times more experience to hit that, than I needed to hit Level 22. I don't know what the frequency for this kind of requisite increase is going to be, but I figured there would be something like that in this game, given its intended difficulty.” Sinon observes Sora anxiously.

“So, how are you feeling?” Sora sheaths Durandal.

“Well, not bad I guess. This migraine is really grinding my gears though. That won't pass any time soon. I'm well enough to handle small skirmishes against low level monsters, but a dungeon is out of the question. I'm not even going to be able to walk that far either. I figured that out just now, though I already suspected it. My hands are nimble enough, but trying to move my legs? It feels like I'm wearing lead boots. I'd make it about four hundred metres before dropping like a fly.” Yui opts to try and lighten the mood.

“Did you get any good rewards for that battle? I find it hard to imagine that you wouldn't, after a fight like that. You soloed a monster more than double your level, got the Last Attack Bonus, and pulled off feats I've not seen from you before. Surely you must have gotten a lot from all of that.” Sora nods.

“Oh yeah, I definitely got a lot of rewards, more than I have the patience to recite actually. I earned fourteen achievements after all, on top of everything you just said. I'll skip the minor rewards like ores and jewels, and focus on the big things. Like the ten Original Skill Scrolls. I've also got a few items that, for some reason, are classed as 'Unidentified'. I think it might have to do with the fact that I've unlocked a secondary Class. Maybe once I've chosen that, the items will be identified.” Sinon looks awestruck.

“A secondary Class? So multi-classing is possible in this game?” Sora pauses a moment as his mind races.

“Yeah, it looks that way. I kind of figured it might happen, but at the same time I thought maybe not. Just trying to figure out my second Class. There's a lot of options really, but I think... yeah I think it's got to be this one. We're missing _that_ after all, while pretty much everything else is firmly covered.” Sora makes his selection, and notices that the unidentified weapons reveal their identity, prompting Sora to raise an eyebrow. _Seriously? I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but to end up with three of them before I even hit Level 30? They're not as rare as I thought they would be then_. Sinon's voice brings Sora out of his thoughts.

“What's up? What did you pick?” Sora shakes off his momentary disorientation.

“I was right, the items were revealed once I chose my second Class. I picked Lancer, and as it turns out: two of the items are Legendary Weapons.” Sinon is surprised by this.

“Lancer? I figured you'd pick a Wizarding Class. You _did_ say you regretted not being an Elementalist.” Sora shakes his head.

“While that _was_ the case early on, it's no longer a necessity. As I said, the other classes have been covered. Asuna, Yui and Cassiopeia are all Spellcasters, so adding a fourth to the mix wouldn't help us. Besides, I'm a frontline fighter, so I don't really have the luxury of casting spells besides my Swordmage skills. We don't have any real reach with mêlée weapons though. Only Klein has any kind of reach, but Katana have their limitations. So, polearms are a good way of filling that void. My options there are Lancer, or Axe-Warrior. I'm not a fan of axes though. I've played the Lancer role before, if only once. I can handle it. If we get a big mob swarm, I can use one of my spears to carve a clear path through the middle. I'm not as good at being a Lancer as my sister though. She had a knack for it.” Sinon looks intrigued by this.

“Akatsuki often played as a Lancer then?” Sora smiles softly.

“Yeah. Not surprising, really. She was trained in Naginatajutsu after all, being in a club for that through Middle School. It was only in Highschool that she stooped, but only because her school didn't have the facilities for it. Still, she never gave up practising, in her spare time. She might have even entered into tournaments if not for... well a lot of things really. Still, she was highly skilled, and she would put that knowledge to work in our RPG sessions. Whenever she played the Lancer role, I played the Supporter role, buffing her and de-buffing the monsters. I don't have to doubt that I'll be as good as her in lancing, I know it to be a fact. I'll try my hardest nonetheless, and my two Legendary spears will help out there.” Klein looks dismayed.

“ _Two_ Legendary weapons?! You get all the luck, man.” Sinon looks at Klein disapprovingly.

“He was almost killed getting those weapons. Repeatedly. I think he's earned the right to have those Legendary weapons after taking on that Titan.” Suguha interrupts Klein to try and change the atmosphere.

“So what Legendary weapons did you get?” Sora brings out the first one; a spear with a dark wooden shaft two metres in length. At each end of the shaft is a rather unusual blade, shaped like a leaf of mistletoe, measuring fifty centimetres in length and fifteen centimetres at the widest points. At the point where the blades meet the shaft, there are three holly berries, as well as coils of vicious looking thorns that loop around the shaft twice each.

“This one is Mystletainn, which is surprising to me since Mystletainn is actually a sword according to the legends, but I have to say: it makes for a pretty cool looking spear. The damage range is 410-720, which is pretty hardcore for my level. I'm only just able to equip it, actually. Two Unique Skills, the first being Blessing of the Forest. As long as I'm in a forest environment, I'll benefit from a 25% increase in health regeneration. The second Skill is called Sadism of Mystletainn. I can use the thorns to wrap up and bind monsters, which steadily inflicts damage over time. The more they struggle, the more damage they take. 15% chance of inflicting poison ticks as well. Aside from that, Mystletainn boosts the power of Poison and Terra element attacks by 30%, boosts critical hit probability by 65% and boosts critical damage by 40%. So, pretty deadly all around. It won't serve me too well in the Evergreen Death however, aside from boosting my regeneration. I'm more likely to use Durandal, or the other Legendary spear.” Sora dismisses Mystletainn, and manifests another spear, this one being vastly more bizarre in appearance. The overall length of the spear is three-hundred-and-five centimetres. The shaft itself is 243 centimetres in length, and looks distinctly like a blue dragonfly with a silver underbelly, complete with two pairs of wings with seventy centimetre spans, six insect-like legs reaching thirty centimetres in length, and a vicious, triple-barbed spike at the end of the tail, measuring fifteen centimetres in length and being crimson in colour. The blade at the head of the spear is rather unusual in its design. Forty-seven centimetres in length, and twenty centimetres at the widest point. The shape is not unlike the blades of Mystletainn, but one side is more rounded, with a false-edge for twenty centimetres near the shaft. The blade is aquamarine in colour, though paler at the edges. As Sora holds the spear, Sinon can see that the legs actually move, and the wings flutter occasionally, as though the spear is alive.

“This, rather curious spear, is Tonbokiri. Quite amusing, actually, for the so-called Dragonfly Cutting Spear. A fearsome damage range of 500-800 points, which is truly domineering at this point in the game. As you might imagine from the wings, it can fly. It can carry up to two people, and fly for a maximum distance of one hundred kilometres per day. It has one Unique Skill: Death Seeker. If I throw the spear, it will fly along a path that I control, or else automatically seek out and attack the weakest enemies. It will fly back to me any time I want it to, which is pretty handy. No boost to critical, but it _does_ boost Wind and Spirit elements by 20%, which is still impressive. Arachnids and other bugs tend to be weak to Wind element attacks, and Spirit attacks are likely to be needed in the Evergreen Death as well. Hence why I'm more likely to use Tonbokiri than Mystletainn.” Sora returns Tonbokiri to his inventory, before speaking again.

“Aside from those two, I also received a Trident, two Scythes and a Pitchfork, but nothing especially worth talking about. The armour I'm wearing is more interesting. Astral Dragon-hide armour, Shadow-forged chest-plate and guards, Tier 2 Pegasus Boots, and a Dark Realm Cloak. I've got good resistance to everything except Psionic attacks. My movement speed is tripled, I can hover over drops for thirty seconds, I can teleport between shadows as long as they're no more than one hundred metres apart, and I can turn invisible in low-light areas for up to six hours. On top of that, my armour combines to boost my Reflex and Stamina stats by ten points each, and my Agility by twenty-eight points. In fact, it's because of that Reflex and Agility boost that I can equip Mystletainn. I would be four points short on each without the armour.” Sinon looks incredulous.

“Those boosts to your stats... I can't even begin to imagine what you'll achieve with them. I mean, you were able to break the sound barrier and push the game to its limits against the Death Jaw Brothers, and you weren't even using a Sword Skill at the time. With that Agility boost... I don't think you're going to be able to even exploit it properly. The game won't be able to keep up with you.” Sora raises an eyebrow.

“Oh, really? So it was the game itself that was lagging? I thought it was my rig that was having trouble keeping up. That could be problematic then. If the game struggles with my speed now, what will it be like if I hit Level 100, and have nearly five times the Agility? Something about that doesn't add up. I mean, if a player wanted to, they could focus entirely on building Agility. They could hit the cap of 5,000 Agility, equip armour with 5x speed multiplications, and use weapons that do the same too. Based upon the research I've done so far, it's possible to amplify movement speed by a factor of five hundred. The total possible boosts to attack speed means that you can strike at almost the speed of light, so it seems odd that the system would struggle with the comparatively sluggish speed of sound. The only thing I can think of is that the servers are under strain from more than just the game itself. Having nearly three million players logged in permanently must be taxing enough as it is, but if we factor in the interference from Reality Bytes, Laughing Coffin, and the countermeasures from QZR Studios and its Cyber Response Team, then I suppose that would place enough burden on the system to create the kind of latency you witnessed. At least, that's the only explanation I can think of. Unless-” Sora looks around, and notices that one of their number is missing.

“Where did Cassiopeia go?” Kirito speaks up for the first time.

“She said she was going to use an Admin Terminal to try and speak with her boss. She wants to confirm her theory about that Titan.” Sora frowns at this.

“What's there to confirm? It was an automatically generated quest that had been tampered with by Laughing Coffin. I figured that out pretty much straight away. It's the only logical explanation. Why would she need an AIT for that anyway? We can't make contact outside. They have to make contact inside, and they can do that regardless of where we are. I suppose maybe she wanted privacy though. Maybe there's something personal she wants to discuss, and is using this as a convenient means. Or maybe she's just providing a report on her observations of my behaviour. She _is_ supposed to be monitoring me after all, to see if I'm trustworthy. I guess it doesn't really matter, I just thought it was weird. Then again, I don't really know anything about her, so this could be normal for her.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**April 3rd 2030 – 2149 JST**

Tatsuya Kurokami reviews the report on the attempt on Nebula's life with a sour expression. _Those maniacs! Are they really so desperate to eliminate the Rescue Team that they would go to such insane lengths? What if it had succeeded? Would they have simply allowed it to rampage in Kraler? Whatever their objective, they failed. This Nebula... to say that they're powerful would be an underestimation. I've seen that kind of skill before, in Alfheim. The Spriggan known as Counterpoint. So, Nebula is a close associate of Virtual Demon. This could seriously complicate matters. To have the friend of the Virtual Demon in this world could potentially lead to conflict. If Nebula should come to encounter Valkyrie, this plan could collapse. Counterpoint is believed to be the only player with the potential to rival the Virtual Demon. If Nebula gets too involved, he could uncover Valkyrie's secret, and kill him. If we lose Valkyrie, we lose everything_. A flashing mail icon appears before Tatsuya, and he opens it. What he reads causes all colour to drain from his face, and all hope to abandon him.

“Prometheus, we have been undone. There can be no mistaking the identity of the Rescue Team's plus one. It is the Virtual Demon.” The message is signed 'Pleiades'. Tatsuya staggers backwards, and slumps against the central spire.

“We're done for.”


End file.
